
server for communications and/or storage) need to be installed separately on
each client computer, but they provide more advanced visualization and
interaction than a browser.
Web interfaces and thick remote clients are complementary, so most plat-
forms, including OME, support both. Command-line interfaces are handy
because they can be used with shell scripting to automate tasks, e.g., to perform
scheduled backups or import images without user intervention directly from the
microscope. Documented application programming interface’s (APIs) give the
most flexibility by permitting users to develop their own views on managed data,
and they are available ...