UPAD

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UPAD is the UK's marketplace for property rental. Whether you are looking to rent or let a property - UPAD is the UK's marketplace for property rental, makes it both simple and easy. And with the biggest selection of rental properties anywhere from single rooms to six bed houses, UPAD has something to suit everyone.

UPAD is interactive too. You can research your local market in Rental Interactive Index for specific postcodes and property sizes, book viewings, review local information, receive property alerts, ask questions in the Rental Surgery, search Wiki, download guides and forms in FAQ, provide feedback and much more besides. All this information is free.

For landlords, advertising on UPAD is equally effective. UPAD guarantees it will find you a tenant (terms and conditions apply), and it will keep running your listing until let. As well as featuring on UPAD, your listing will be distributed to over 50 other rental sites.

UPAD Features

Built upon LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) architecture, the UPAD site incorporates Web 2.0 principles such as rich user interface (AJAX where appropriate) and architecture of participation between various user profiles (landlords and tenants).

Object-oriented and platform-independent Java technology was used to build a stand alone feed module. Java is the foundation for Web and networked services, applications, platform-independent desktops, robotics, and other embedded devices. Java Platform is designed specifically to develop secure, portable, high-performance applications for the widest range of desktop computing platforms possible, including Apple Macintosh, Linux, Microsoft Windows and Sun Solaris. Compatible desktops, especially in heterogeneous environments, represent a boost in user productivity, communication, and collaboration, as well as a considerable cost-of-ownership savings.

In addition to that the site architecture is flexible, extensible and open allowing creation of UPAD web services using the REST model (APIs). The UPAD web services enable third party developers to access the data and display it in applications, feeds or any other programmable format.

UPAD Technologies

The following sets of technologies were used to implement the UPAD site:

• UPAD was developed in an Apache, PHP, MySQL environment.
  MySQL is the most popular open source database available today and offers better scalability and features such as transactions and database replication.
  PHP is easy to use, lightweight while offering full functionality and can be easily extended. Modules and libraries make PHP work with a large number of APIs and other web 2.0 technologies. Some of the biggest consumer sites are built on this environment - Facebook, Flickr, Digg, etc.
• Upad was developed using the Script.aculo.us Javascript Framework, Smarty for templating, PEAR for XML parsing.
• The modern cording standards were applied for UPAD: XHTML Transitional, CSS, JavaScript, DHTML/AJAX where applicable
• All web pages were designed in accordance to accessibility Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)