Using a Web Application While Offline ...

[George Durzi]

I've developed a web based sales contact software for my company. Account
managers use the software to record sales activity they've made.

Recently, they've been complaining that there are times when they can't use
the application, e.g. when they have no internet access, like on a plane.
DUH, it's an internet based application!!!

Apparently, my boss wants to take this excuse away from them. He realizes
and agrees with me that developing a way for users to enter data into the
application while offline goes against the whole web paradigm.


Now that I've accepted the fact that I have to do this, I have to come up
with an elegant way of doing with, and wanted to solicit some suggestions.

Basically, my goal is to convert one web form into an "offline form", and
then when the user connects back to the site, they can "import" this data
back.

One idea I tossed around is having them enter the data in an access
database, then import it when they connect again.

Has anybody ever needed to do anything like this? I'd appreciate any tips.

 

[Scott Allen]

Yes - start learning about the buzzwords "smart client" and "web
services".

Seriously, though, smart client development is a decent way to build
applications. Here is one starter document with some pointers and
background information:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/smartclient/community/scfaq/default.aspx

 

[George Durzi]

Thank you!! I didn't think there would actually be something out there!!

 

[Ken Cox [Microsoft MVP]]

Hi George,

I wonder if this is what you need - run an ASP.NET page without a Web serve.
Here's the article that shows how:

Host ASP.NET Applications
Leverage the System.Web.Hosting classes to serve up your own ASP.NET
applications.

"You can implement the HttpRuntime to process requests and render the output
from ASP.NET processing, all without the use of Internet Information Server
(IIS) or other Web servers on the client systems."

http://www.ftponline.com/vsm/2002_10/magazine/columns/aspnet/default.aspx

Ken
Microsoft MVP [ASP.NET]
Toronto