ASP.NET vs Windows Forms for building client application

[JezB]

I kind of understand the ASP.NET architecture in terms of building web pages
with embedded server controls, where the .aspx is run on the client and the
..aspx.cs runs on the server.

But what if I want to build an ASP.NET based application that is to be run
entirely on a client (all files hosted on the client and run on the same
client)? What would that client need to run it?

I want to write an application that can be run standalone on a PC (not
hosted on a web server and accessed from a PC), which uses web technology
like javascript and Ajax, while also being able to code the primary logic in
C#. I have the choice of a windows forms rich client application which uses
a WebBrowser control, or a native ASP.NET application. But I'm not sure the
latter is even feasible for being deployed and run standalone on a PC -
would it need IIS and .NET framework installed, and even more?

 

[JezB]

Cassini : looks good, I hadn't heard of that, but that could be what I'm
missing. Thanks.

It is pretty feasible. You will need to have .net installed on the client,
which doesn't seem to be a problem. You don't need IIS if you package your
app with a redistributable version of Cassini.

--
Eliyahu Goldin,
Software Developer & Consultant
Microsoft MVP [ASP.NET]

I kind of understand the ASP.NET architecture in terms of building web
pages with embedded server controls, where the .aspx is run on the client
and the .aspx.cs runs on the server.

But what if I want to build an ASP.NET based application that is to be
run entirely on a client (all files hosted on the client and run on the
same client)? What would that client need to run it?

I want to write an application that can be run standalone on a PC (not
hosted on a web server and accessed from a PC), which uses web technology
like javascript and Ajax, while also being able to code the primary logic
in C#. I have the choice of a windows forms rich client application which
uses a WebBrowser control, or a native ASP.NET application. But I'm not
sure the latter is even feasible for being deployed and run standalone on
a PC - would it need IIS and .NET framework installed, and even more?

 

[Eliyahu Goldin]

It is pretty feasible. You will need to have .net installed on the client,
which doesn't seem to be a problem. You don't need IIS if you package your
app with a redistributable version of Cassini.

 

[Juan T. Llibre]

There's a free, highly modified, version of Cassini named UltiDev.

The author modified the Cassini source code so the web server
runs as a service, and added a bunch of improvements.

Get it at : http://ultidev.com/Products/Cassini/

There's a complete deployment guide at :
http://ultidev.com/Products/Cassini/CassiniDevGuide.htm

UltiDev comes in both .Net Framework 1.1 and 2.0 versions,
and is exactly what you're looking for.

Cassini : looks good, I hadn't heard of that, but that could be what I'm missing. Thanks.

It is pretty feasible. You will need to have .net installed on the client, which doesn't seem to
be a problem. You don't need IIS if you package your app with a redistributable version of
Cassini.

--
Eliyahu Goldin,
Software Developer & Consultant
Microsoft MVP [ASP.NET]

I kind of understand the ASP.NET architecture in terms of building web pages with embedded server
controls, where the .aspx is run on the client and the .aspx.cs runs on the server.

But what if I want to build an ASP.NET based application that is to be run entirely on a client
(all files hosted on the client and run on the same client)? What would that client need to run
it?

I want to write an application that can be run standalone on a PC (not hosted on a web server
and accessed from a PC), which uses web technology like javascript and Ajax, while also being
able to code the primary logic in C#. I have the choice of a windows forms rich client
application which uses a WebBrowser control, or a native ASP.NET application. But I'm not sure
the latter is even feasible for being deployed and run standalone on a PC - would it need IIS
and .NET framework installed, and even more?