Cloud-Based Development Environments

In this chapter we elaborate the fundamentals of platform as a service (PaaS) and outline core components of a typical PaaS. We focus on a specific cloud-computing layer, which is called application platform as a service (aPaaS). Emergence of this layer raises several questions regarding the existence of traditional development environments, tools, and the viability of alternative ecosystems along with new positions in the market. It is this questioning that shows the need for making sense of what underpins the very idea of aPaaS and how the idea is manifested in the market, and finally what implications can be drawn for academics and practitioners We articulate basic approaches to aPaaS and discuss metadata aPaaS by using our industry experience as well as a review of recent studies on this subject. This leads to a concise comparison of leading PaaS solutions.