Comparison of application servers

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This compares the features and functionality of application servers, grouped by the hosting environment that is offered by that particular application server.

Apache

Apache-based application server bundles integrate script languages (such as Perl, Python, PHP, Ruby, Tcl) into Apache web server.

BASIC Language

• Run BASIC [1] - An all-in-one BASIC scriptable appserver with automatic session and state management

C++ Language

• Tuxedo [2] Based on the ATMI standard, is one of the original application servers.
• Tntnet [3] is a web application server for C++. Tntnet comes with a template engine, which allows the programmer to embed C++-code into HTML pages. Since these templates are not compiled at runtime, but like classic C++-programs in a separate compile-cycle, the resulting programs are native and therefore very fast. Tntnet is multithreaded and supports object lifetime through scoped variables.
• cppserv C++ servlet container
• Wt-toolkit [4] Ajax toolkit for C++

Haskell Language

• HAppS Application server which allows and takes advantage of functional programming.

Java

Java EE

• J2EE Compatibilities
• ¹: J2EE based deployment is possible (http://developer.apple.com/documentation/WebObjects/JSP_and_Servlets/About/chapter_1_section_1.html)

JavaScript

• firecat[5] - Server-side JavaScript Web Application Server.

.NET

Microsoft

Microsoft positions their middle-tier applications and services infrastructure in the Windows Server operating system and the .NET Framework technologies in the role of an application server:

• Internet Information Services web server
• .NET Framework (Windows Communication Foundation, Web Services, .NET Remoting, MSMQ, ASP.NET, ADO.NET)
• Distributed Transactions/COM+
• Active Directory Application Mode, Active Directory Federation Services, Authorization Manager

Third-party

• Mono, developed by Novell, Inc., licensed under GPL.
• Base4 Application Server, an open source project
• Apache, an open source web server that can be used for .NET as well

Objective-C

• GNUstepWeb [6]WebObjects 4.5 compatible, released under the LGPL.
• SOPE [7] inspired by WebObjects extended with Zope concepts, used as Foundation for OpenGroupware.

Python

• CherryPy [8]
• Django [9]
• Porcupine [10]
• SkunkWeb [11]
• Snakelets [12]
• TurboGears [13]
• Web2py [14]
• WebWare http://www.webwareforpython.org/
• Zope, by Zope, Inc.

Perl

• HTML::Mason [15]
• Catalyst [16]

PHP

• AutomatWeb [17]
• CakePHP[18]
• Symfony [19]
• Code Igniter [20]

Ruby

• Cerise [21] - According to the blurb, Cerise is a Ruby web/application server following the same general pattern as J2EE application servers

Smalltalk

• Seaside software [22] - A continuations based web application server based on Smalltalk

Tcl

• AOLserver Released as NaviServer before being bought by AOL in 1995, this was a pioneering web application server - for the first time integrating a multi-threaded HTTP server with built in scripting language and database pools with abstraction layer.

Concept Application Server

• RadGs Concept Application Server - not HTTP/HTML based

See also

• Application Server
• Content management system
• Web application framework
• Comparison of web application frameworks

External links

• Thorough Comparison of many Application Servers in 2005
• Windows Server Application Server technologies