ProtoLink developed a web application that supports validation, modification, and reporting of oilfield test and production data.
The application exposes field data through a Windows Explorer-like interface consisting of a hierarchical tree view and a list view. Context sensitive pop-up menus allow users to select actions associated with each tree view branch and list view row. Tabular reports and trends are viewable, while important process setpoints may be edited via dialog-like screens. The application also exports data to upstream accounting systems.
The tree view and list view are implemented using XML, XSL, HTML, and JavaScript. The tree view is designed so that user navigation actions do not require round-trips to the web server. A middle-tier COM object developed in C++ provides XML data to the web application server, which in turn delivers it to the browser for client-side rendering via the DOM. Stored procedures within SQL Server are used extensively to improve application performance.
Printable tabular reports were implemented using Crystal Reports while trends are rendered using custom client-side VML and JavaScript.