A Lightweight Web-based Application Framework for Web 2.0 Using Python

This paper provides an overview of the design and architecture of a simple and yet powerful lightweight web-based application framework called the “FOA Application Framework.” It follows a Model-View-Controller (MVC) architectural design pattern. The framework is Python-based and provides role-based access as well as a lightweight template engine. The simple syntax of Python makes the FOA framework very easy to use. It operates within a Solaris environment using Apache as the web server. The City University of Hong Kong recently used this framework to create a Web 2.0 AI rostering system for the Equestrian Events of Good Luck Beijing Games that were held in 2007 in Hong Kong in preparation for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.