about eblocks
At the heart of every project is our unique EBlocks technology. We have developed this over the past eight years in response to issues we've encountered while delivering our clients' solutions.
It allows us to rapidly put together the data storage mechanism that's at the heart of every web project, and has the data entry forms, display mechanisms and security layer that's required already built in.
delivering secure, flexible and powerful solutions
For years, the relational database has ruled as the default choice for data storage. Its rigid system of pre-defined tables and joins can model any fixed data structure, and the principles behind it are familiar to any developer. However this rigidity has its downsides: it takes time and skill to design the data schema; and any changes to it once a significant amount of data has been added can be time consuming and break previously working software.
hierarchy
In EBlocks, data is stored hierarchically (in a tree structure) rather than in flat tables, which more closely models the way we think ourselves. Items can be nested within each other to any depth, rather than being limited to the fixed number of levels of organisation designed into a relational database.
flexibility
EBlocks was designed to be as flexible as possible, not only during a project's initial design phase but throughout its lifecycle. This enables requirements to adapt and enable new features to be added incrementally during development.
inheritance
All data objects inherit their internal structure from a prototype, which defines the fields, types and rules used to store data. Adding a new field to the prototype automatically updates all objects that inherit from it. Objects may take their definition from more than one prototype. These composite data objects can be quickly created and reused, combining disparate features into a new whole.
security
On top of the flexible data storage, EBlocks has comprehensive access controls built-in. Permissions and rights determine which objects a user can see and what operations they are allowed to perform. The security model is designed to be as flexible as the data it protects.
simplicity
Despite this flexibility, the EBlocks object model is designed to be as easy to use as possible. Online tools, a full SDK and a library of predefined prototypes and web controls allow custom projects and CASI applications to be developed and deployed rapidly.