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This software is a Web-based multimedia catalog of all actually produced in the world cars with advanced searching and reporting functions. Is is Web-version of WorldAuto catalogue.
AutoSearch database contains over 5000 car types of over 600 car models, produced by 124 brands from 27 countries. Each type has over 100 technical characteristics and up to 5 pictures for each type. Two versions of catalogue are available: Web-based catalogue - AutoSearch, and a standalone Win32 application (WorldAuto). Because of the pictures, size of database on the server exceeds 2.5 Gigabytes.
To allow users easily browse through all of these data, we used two different kinds of navigation: hierarchical and random. Hierarchical way: left side of the screen has a tree, in which data are hierarchically ordered by country, brand, model and type. Like in Windows-Explorer, user can open/close nodes and quickly come to the data he is interested in - by a click on an item in tree on the left side, corresponding to the clicked item data get displayed on the right side.
Picture 1. Hierarchical navigation in AutoSearch catalogue.
For random navigation, search components are used: it is possible to search over any technical characteristics (there are over one hundred of them). It is possible to search cars using any combination of technical parameters. They are divided into 10 sections like "Car name", "Engine", "Transmission" and represented by tabs on the left side. After the search criteria is set, user can press "search" button and on the right side of the screen get displayed all the cars found. Using "Customize" dialog, it is possible to configure which of the parameters should be displayed.
Picture 2. Random navigation.
To make enter of search criteria more comfortable, miscellaneous Java applets are used.
On picture (left frame): LinearSlider applet is used for range selection of numerical values.
In the displayed on the right side table with results, it is possible to sort over any of technical parameter (by click on it), or a combination of parameters. By a click on some of displayed cars, in the right frame gets displayed the information about the selected car with the picture of it. User can run a slideshow to see a number of big pictures.
When user wants to analyze the data he is searching for, it is possible to put search results into an analog of a 'shopping cart' - we call it 'garage', where it is possible to navigate in the same way as on the basic data (i.e. it is possible again to use 'hierarchical' and 'random' navigation). This way of work with large amounts of data is very comfortable. After a search over the basic data is done, user can open 'garage' which represents data in the same way as they were represented before the search and he can use 'hierarchical' and 'random' navigation again and again in the same way he did it with the basic data.
In 'garage', it is also possible to compare technical characteristics of different cars, which is very useful when a detailed comparison is needed. Saving selected in the 'garage' cars in a file, user can always review his selection, and also make a slideshow for these cars: putting the cars in a needed sequence, he can anytime later review it as set of automatically changed pictures.
All the information present in the Catalogue can be printed out in different ways, which can be customized by the user. It is possible export results to Excel format or XML.
In AutoSearch, we use some of our own developed Java applets - JTree applet, to show all car grouped by brand name and model, and LinearSlider to set numeric search parameters like power or max. speed.
Picture 3. Linear and ring sliders - Delphi components
We acquired excellent experience in catalogue developing and possess know-hows in this field, so we would be happy to develop a Web-based catalogue for you.
Used tools and technologies:
User Interface: HTML, DHTML, JavaScript and Java applets
Server-side: servlets, Jasper, JDBC, also ASP, ODBC (for NT version)
Web-servers: Netscape Enterprise Server 3.5, Apache 1.3 (with mod_jserv, TomCat), MS IIS
Database: Oracle 8i, MS Access, mySQL, PostgreSQL
OS: Windows NT/2000, Linux RedHat and Solaris 7
Time spent:
4 developers were working 6 months = 24 man-months.
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