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The iPhora Journey - Part 14 - Bringing All the Parts Together

Welcome to the final post of "The iPhora Journey".

Our goal as we started this journey was to take the HCL Domino platform that we loved for more than 25 years and redefining a web application running on Domino. 

iPhora was created originally to allow us to provide a flexible platform for building secure web-based applications for our customers as part of our consulting services. However, it has now evolved into a platform that customers and partners can build their own solutions with the emphasis on user-driven workflow applications and process automation.

As an integrated application platform, you can build web applications in a variety of different ways with HCL Domino. In designing iPhora, we looked at the architecture of other platforms, identified their key features and determine how it could be implemented within the capabilities and limitations of HCL Domino and utilized its flexible architecture to the fullest.

We went through many iterations and versions always with a focus on continuous improvement. iPhora started with a pure JavaScript SPA/REST API architecture but as it evolved, we moved to a hybrid server-side generation/JavaScript REST API based architecture to provide better security and more control.

The entire architecture of iPhora is based on JSON which led us to create our own JSON parser written in LotusScript to meet our needs.  

During our journey, we created a few things:

  • MongoDB like JSON document storage and data management architecture
  • A high performance LotusScript JSON Parser that any JavaScript developer could understand
  • An entire server-side generation language
  • A flow-based platform for creating apps, workflows and processes
  • PhoraScript a JSON-based scripting language
  • Flow-based ActionStreams 
  • Dozens of custom Dojo-based widgets
  • An easy-to-use iPaaS platform 
  • Data connector architecture
  • A new data security model that leveraged the existing capabilities of Domino security
  • A secure community-based platform for isolating and running applications and processes
  • A no-code platform for creating apps and workflow processes
  • Command JSON language to install and configure iPhora automatically onto a Domino server

For the past two years we have been focused solely on moving it from being a consulting tool to a commercial product.  It has been challenging but fun.

As we end this journey, we are starting a new one. So, look forward to many announcements and things to come.

The iPhora Journey - Part 13 - Automating the Automate
The iPhora Journey - Part 12 - Bring the Public Cloud Experience to your Private Environment
The iPhora Journey - Part 11 - Integration to Cloud-based Services for Business Users Made Simple
The iPhora Journey - Part 10 - ActionStream - the Heart of iPhora
The iPhora Journey - Part 9 - Flow-based Programming for Your User Interface
The iPhora Journey - Part 8 - Flow-based Programming
The iPhora Journey - Part 7 - Transforming Domino with Microservices
The iPhora Journey - Part 6 - An Application, Rethinking and Redefining
The iPhora Journey - Part 5 - Dammit Jim, I'm a LotusScripter not a JavaScripter
The iPhora Journey - Part 4 - JSON is King - The How
The iPhora Journey - Part 4 - JSON is King - The Why
The iPhora Journey - Part 3 - Creating an Integrated UI Framework
The iPhora Journey - Part 2 - Domino, the Little Engine that Could
The iPhora Journey - Part 1 - Reimagining Domino


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