GenApp: Extensible Tool for Rapid Generation of Science Gateways and Standalone GUI Applications

GenApp (Generalized Application Framework) is a universal and extensible tool for rapid deployment of scientific codes onto web platforms and generation of standalone GUI applications. Among the main unique features of GenApp are the minimal technical expertise requirement for the end user and an open-end design ensuring sustainability of generated applications. To produce fully functional applications GenApp weaves libraries of fragments and user defined modules as directed by simple definition files. Preserving such simplicity with GenApp's maturation is one of the main developmental strategies. Because of the conceptual ease of use GenApp is ideally suited to scientists who are not professional developers and whose immediate expertise lies in traditional fields of sciences such as Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Currently, GenApp is used to generate multiple web based science gateways primarily in the Small Angle Scattering (SAS) field, to expose suites of programs enabling molecular simulation of soft-matter systems to model X-ray and neutron scattering experimental data to scientific community. Over 30 publications have resulted from use of GenApp framework.