Mashup Editor The Mashup Editor is used to visually build mashups by wiring together parts and configuring their behaviors.  The editor is suitable for business/data analysts, or for power users with some basic understanding of XML. Parameterized Abstraction Layers A collection of parts wired together is called an “assembly” in MashableLogic.  To help reduce the complexity of large mashups requiring many parts wired together, the Mashup Editor supports the nesting of assemblies, dubbed a “subassembly”.  Subassemblies can themselves be nested within other subassemblies. Subassemblies provide a mechanism for developing abstraction layers.  Besides hiding complexity, they also form re-usable components to be used across many mashups. Even better, “parameter” parts can be used to parameterize subassemblies.  Parameters “roll-up” the chain to all outer assemblies that use the subassembly, allowing the parameter value to be configured (overridden) at any nesting level within the mashup. MashableLogic’s ease-of-use is derived from multiple architectural layers that hide complexity, from the Webtop to the Mashup Editor to the Part IDE.  Subassemblies are a mechanism for managing the complexity of mashups, by allowing re-usable, modular abstraction layers to be built. Web Service Mashups The Mashup Editor includes a Web Service part that creates server-side REST-ful Web Services.  Web Service mashups are useful to distribute processing for visual browser-side mashups, by processing large amounts of data and returning just the data needed for visualization in the browser.  Web Service mashups can also be consumed by external systems by invoking a URL. Web Services can also be parameterized, with parameters passed into the mashup as URL query parameters. Pushed Data The Mashup Editor provides a Pushed Data part that allows external systems to push data into mashups.  Widgets running in the webtop or on external web pages will automatically refresh their displays when new data is pushed from the external systems.  Pushed data makes it possible to turn the webtop into a real-time dashboard. The Pushed Data part supports message broadcasting, where all widgets can listen for a specific message from external systems, as well as allowing messages to be targeted to specific assemblies, allowing finer control over message delivery. Batch Job Mashups The Mashup Editor includes a Batch Job part that defines a server-side batch job mashup that will be executed according to the configured schedule (crontab). Server-side batch job mashups are useful to process large volumes of data overnight, or to perform a certain task at regular intervals.  Another example of using batch job mashups is to check the integrity of data sources being consumed by mashups in the system, alerting someone if a data source is no longer returning data or is returning data in a modified, unexpected format. Keeping mashups that consume data from 3rd-party systems operational can be a challenge with competing mashup tools.  MashableLogic’s batch job mashups provide a way to build automated health monitoring and alerts for the data services being used to build mashups. RSS News Feed Mashups The Mashup Editor provides a Server Feed part that emits a RSS feed on the server.  This allows mashups to be built that generate RSS feeds from data in one or more systems.  The mashup news feeds can then be read either with MashableLogic’s own RSS news feed reader mashup, or with any 3rd-party RSS news feed reader. Data Sources and Output Interfaces Data Sources and Output Interfaces work together.  In the webtop, data sources can be dragged and dropped onto compatible output interfaces for rendering the data.  Depending on the capabilities of the output interface widget, more than one data source may be capable of being rendered.  For example, a map widget can plot multiple sets of marker data, or a line graph can plot multiple data series using different line colors. The Mashup Editor provide parts for specifying the bindings between data sources and output interfaces. Test Drive the Demo! Be sure to take the demo for a test drive.  The demo highlights the features of MashableLogic’s mashup development system. Click here to learn more.   Remove Data Barriers Enterprises are currently using mashups as a tactical way of tearing down data barriers created by de facto application silos. Click here to learn more.