One of the biggest problems in building Web applications is getting all of the interested parties to specify accurately what they want. Typically the specification is text-based with a few mockup Web screens but that usually leaves a lot of latitude (and gaping holes) in the details.

A new, and as far as I am aware unique product from iRise (http://www.irise.com/) called Application Simulator claims to make it easy to create accurate, detailed specifications.

Using a drag and drop interface backed up by a workflow system Application Simulator makes it possible for all of the stakeholders to reach consensus about how a Web application should look and behave without requiring coding.

There are three components to Application Simulator:

* iRise Online, a Web portal that provides browser-based access to the simulation server repository. It also provides management of the requirements specification workflow.

* iRise Studio is a client application for creating interface prototypes.

* The Simulation Server provides simulation, collaboration and repository services the other components.

The outputs from Application Simulator are the simulation itself which can be examined by the development team and used as a benchmark, detailed text-based requirements reports, a glossary of the business terms used in the project and HTML files that are the starting point for user interface development.

Application Simulator is more applicable to really large projects, a fact that is underlined by iRise's customers such as engineering firm Fluor Daniel, Health Net and First American.

Running under Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000 for both iRise Studio and the Simulation Server, Application Simulator is priced at $180,000 for 5 iRise Studio licenses and 25 iRise Online seats.

Mark Gibbs is a consultant, author, journalist, columnist and blogger.