migrating an app to asp .net

[Guest]

We have a huge fat client database enabled application.
It is a MDI app with a very rich graphic interface and hundreds of different
screens and dialog windows.
There is a lot of client side processing, validation, file manipulation even
interaction with 3rd party apps (i.e Microsoft Office).
Is it possible to migrate this type of an app to run as a Web app using ASP
..Net?
Are there any 3rd party frameworks/libraries that could be used to
accomplish this?
Thank You

 

[Mark Rae]

We have a huge fat client database enabled application.
It is a MDI app with a very rich graphic interface and hundreds of
different
screens and dialog windows.
There is a lot of client side processing, validation, file manipulation
even
interaction with 3rd party apps (i.e Microsoft Office).
Is it possible to migrate this type of an app to run as a Web app using
ASP
.Net?

Yes, but you must really take a step back first and understand the
difference between WinForms and WebForms...

Firstly, the Request - Response architecture of web applications really does
not have any equivalent of the MDI architecture which is possible with
WinForms:
http://www.c-sharpcorner.com/Upload...rticleID=bfb8d69a-d9ee-444e-aeb9-c0f64c0c7516
You'll have to completely re-design that aspect of it.

Secondly, it will make a HUGE difference whether your app is going to run on
an internal intranet or the public Internet. If the latter, then you must
live within the security constraints that this will impose upon you, not to
mention cross-browser / cross-platform compatibility. If the former, then
you have a lot more options, specifically with regard to client-side
interoperability with COM servers such as Microsoft Office etc.

Are there any 3rd party frameworks/libraries that could be used to
accomplish this?

Not really - there certainly is no silver bullet which will turn a WinForms
app into a WebForms app at the flick of a switch.

Also, you don't mention what software your current app is written in...

 

[Guest]

Mark,
Thank you.
The application is written in Power Builder.
Our app is an object oriented app, we created our own framework where we
relly heavilly on inheritance of graphic objects (windows, dialog boxes, tab
controls ....).
Is this something that we can acomplish in ASP . Net? Is it possible to
build some sort of OO framework with web forms where you inherit from base
classes forms?
Thanks

 

[Mark Rae]

The application is written in Power Builder.
Our app is an object oriented app, we created our own framework where we
relly heavilly on inheritance of graphic objects (windows, dialog boxes,
tab
controls ....).
Is this something that we can acomplish in ASP . Net? Is it possible to
build some sort of OO framework with web forms where you inherit from base
classes forms?

Hmm - not really. Like I said, you really need to forget all about WinForms
and get yourself into a WebForms mindset, specifically with regard to
ASP.NET.

E.g. in the latest version of ASP.NET, there are MasterPages - templates if
you like. They essentially provide a skeleton into which content is placed.
So, if you had 100 WebForms all of which had to have the same header, menu
and footer, you would create the MasterPage once and then each of the
content pages individually. It is also possible to tell a content page to
use a different MasterPage at runtime.

But that's just the GUI. Behind that, of course, you have access to the
whole .NET Framework (or, at least, as much of it as can be accessed by
ASP.NET) which will give you full object-orientated functionality - base
classes, inheritance, encapsulation, polymorphism - the works.

Then, of course, you have ADO.NET for database connectivity.

I think the two best pieces of advice I can give you are:

1) buy a decent beginner's guide to ASP.NET - you generally can't do much
better than Wrox:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/07...098965/ref=sr_1_2/104-1279433-9167152?ie=UTF8

Read it and work through the examples.

Then, try this:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/07...098965/ref=sr_1_4/104-1279433-9167152?ie=UTF8

2) Don't make the mistake of thinking that you can upgrade a PowerBuilder
desktop app to an ASP.NET app. By all means, use your existing app as a
prototype, but you really need to redesign it from the ground up.

 

[Guest]

Thank You for the advice...

Hmm - not really. Like I said, you really need to forget all about WinForms
and get yourself into a WebForms mindset, specifically with regard to
ASP.NET.

E.g. in the latest version of ASP.NET, there are MasterPages - templates if
you like. They essentially provide a skeleton into which content is placed.
So, if you had 100 WebForms all of which had to have the same header, menu
and footer, you would create the MasterPage once and then each of the
content pages individually. It is also possible to tell a content page to
use a different MasterPage at runtime.

But that's just the GUI. Behind that, of course, you have access to the
whole .NET Framework (or, at least, as much of it as can be accessed by
ASP.NET) which will give you full object-orientated functionality - base
classes, inheritance, encapsulation, polymorphism - the works.

Then, of course, you have ADO.NET for database connectivity.

I think the two best pieces of advice I can give you are:

1) buy a decent beginner's guide to ASP.NET - you generally can't do much
better than Wrox:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/07...098965/ref=sr_1_2/104-1279433-9167152?ie=UTF8

Read it and work through the examples.

Then, try this:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/07...098965/ref=sr_1_4/104-1279433-9167152?ie=UTF8

2) Don't make the mistake of thinking that you can upgrade a PowerBuilder
desktop app to an ASP.NET app. By all means, use your existing app as a
prototype, but you really need to redesign it from the ground up.