Intelligent Active Directory Integration

The fundamental proposition of this thesis is that§(a) existing Active Directory APIs are restrictive,§that (b) a better programming approach to the§integration of Active Directory exists and that (c)§visual programming paradigms can be effectively§applied to achieve the goal of on-time software§delivery. Allowing the user to program using§domain-specific visual languages creates an intuitive§interface and, in addition, generates an underlying§framework to perform validation with security checks§on the visual elements. Such a framework stimulates§rapid application development. Since the visually§designed diagrams cannot be executed, code-generation§is necessary. Supplementary security analyses were§performed to ensure that no security vulnerabilities§would be "generated" in the source-code. Generated§code based on visual designs, is finally compiled§into a Dynamic Link Library that can be included in§existing or new applications, enabling them to use§the generated Active Directory methods. This§additional layer of abstraction allows the§application's designer to focus on user interfacing§and related tasks rather than Active Directory§programming.