Abstract
The aim of this study is to introduce a virtual laboratory platform with metadata-based API for the creation of dynamic software components. Also, the study seeks to assess the platform’s validity and technological acceptance among the community of system developers. The platform is referred to as Esfinge Virtual Lab, and it has been developed utilizing the Java programming language. The platform has a general purpose and is demonstrated in this work in the context of system prototyping. Using declarative programming techniques and a metadata-based APIs, a software developer may focus on business principles and processes rather than expend energy on the retrieval of information or the programming of the user interface. The Esfinge Virtual Lab platform enables developers to efficiently produce diverse forms of data visualization with minimal coding effort. This includes the rapid generation of tables, graphs, maps, and personalized outputs. The components are packaged as Java Archive (JAR) files and uploaded onto the platform. The components that have been loaded can be accessed for execution and can be either injected or dynamically invoked for a new component, thereby facilitating code reuse. This study provides a comprehensive explanation of the platform, including its internal architecture and features. The deployment of the Esfinge Virtual Lab was demonstrated through two practical applications in Brazilian institutions, namely INPE and CEMADEN. A survey was performed to determine the validity of the platform, consisting of open-ended and closed-ended questions. The research used the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a quantitative analytical instrument and thematic analysis as a qualitative analytical approach.