Smart Client

[Avi]

Hi there,

Sorry, newbie, learning my way around ...

I understand that ASP.Net is built on the assumption that the client
does not run the .net framework, and that when you can assume that the
client does run the framework, you should go the smart client way.

I did a fast "is the buzzword alive" check: The Microsoft smart client
development center is dead, and on Amazon I found just one book on that
subject, and that book is centered on VS 2003.

What gives? What's the new New?

 

[V]

Hi,

Both Smart Clients and Web apps have their own space depending on your
requirements.

Of course the new "New" is Windows Vista and application running on
Xaml.

But that is some ways away as of now.

- Vaibhav

 

[Avi]

V thanks for answering!

Please clarify: Vista ans Xaml - are they a new "architecture" (as
opposed to specifying the user interface as XML which why should I care
about this, probably handled with tools anyhow)?

ASP: Work on the server, pure XHTML on the client
Smart Client: Work on the client using .Net, interact with the server
(using web services?)
Vista + Xaml???

If it's a new architecture, it might be worth getting into it if it's
stable.

 

[V]

Windows Vista is Microsoft's latest Operating System.

For development of applications on Vista, although you can use
WinForms, the new technology is Xaml. It is not so much an
architecture, as it is a development tool, i feel.

Designer support for creating Xaml apps is also some time away (it will
be integrated in the next version of Visual Studio). However, at this
time you can do your Xaml apps by hand.

Why you should care about Xaml is that on the Vista platform, the same
code (i.e. Xaml code) can be used to deploy your application as either
a webapp or a windows app.

And of course, Xaml (or rather Windows Presentation Framework) offers
you the ability to have a very much richer UI API, which in turn means
better looking apps.

Going back to the other two:

ASP.Net - yes, purely server with Xhtml on the client

Smart Client - yes, it would mean logic is on the client, and
communication with server can be through web services, remoting, or a
custom protocol.

A quick note, presence of .net 1.1 framework on client machines is not
a big deal. It is not really a barrier.

Also, once again, it really depends on your application scenario
whether you would want to chose a Smart Client vs a Web Application.
For example, if you wanted to provide an offline mode to your
application, then it may be better to go for a Smart Client...

- V

 

[Avi]

I'd like like part of my application to be a web site, and part of it -
additional functionality - to work on the client and integrate
seamlessly with the web site.

When you develop a vista application, is ASP.Net 2.0 relevant? How can
an application run on the web the same as it runs on the client (e.g.
consider the state and connected/disconnected mode issues)? How does
this correlate to Atlas (which I've heard claims the same "develop for
both the server and client").

Is there some "new architecture overview" out there that explains all
this stuff?

 

[V]

Although, I would like to answer all your questions... but I am afraid
I don't know a lot of these answers myself.

You can read up on www.msdn.com for a lot of these technologies.

Asp.Net 2.0 is independent of Vista.

Sorry, for such short answers.

- Vaibhav

 

[bmntech]

Vaibhav,

Thank you for your answers, you have help me clarify my question
I'm posting a new thread.

Avi

 

[V]

Avi,

I have responded on your other thread as well .

- Vaibhav