Windows Application Versus Web Site

Windows Application Versus Web Site

• Leo Fi

  It will depend on wat the application is to do and who will access it. When developing a windows application, this will require the clients to have software installed onto there machine. But with a web application all they will need is a web browser.

  With the windows app this software will include the sql native client as well as the .net framework.

  
  
  

• Monte Chan

  One key issue is that if you decide on asp.net, you'll need to ask questions at www.asp.net and not here. Asking which way to go is fine, but once you decide, if it's ASP.NEt, I thought I'd get in early and point that out.

  I'd go with a winforms app unless you wanted to expose functionality outside of your own network, on the web. b/c web dev is definately restricted compared to on the desktop, it's also more expensive ( each action involves generating new page instances, for example ).

  
  
  

• BlueBeetle

  Hi,

  I guess you should elaborate more than this, however, selecting between winforms and webforms is not a big deal since code is reusable for both technologies, away from UI, however you need to answer these questions :

  • What is the operating System of your users ( supposedly it will be Windows )
  • Will you install .NET into users' machines or this will not be easy
  • How are you going to handle system upgrades, in other words in case you change your system you will need to distribute the application to every PC again, you can expose it to a network drive to make life easier.
  • The kind of UI you will require will be also considerable if it's reach and complex winforms are preferred than webforms.

  Let me suggest one thing, I prefer you opt to 3 Tier design approach, finish you Data Access Layer ( DAL ) and your Business Logic Layer ( BLL ) , then you can work on WebForms or Winforms, furthermore you can develop one WebService that's using your DAL & BLL, and let any other platform users access the webservice.

  Regards !

  
  
  

• EvilOneSD

  The main question to ask is how complex is the user interface meant to be.
  
  If you are only putting in data into and out of a single or a few tables, a web app is the best - quick to create and maintian.
  
  If you have more complex ui requirements, inputing information into multiple tables, need to use sub-forms, then win-app is the way to go.
  
  Also what development skills are available to you
  What time frame do you have
  How are you going to deploy it
  Is your customer base used to custom win-apps
  Are they used to custom web apps
  
  To be honest, you need to gather more requirements, until the requirements answer your question.
  
  Saul
  
  
  

• Alois

  You didn't say anything about your user interaction needs - If you are only transfer data from one side to the other you can write it as a windows service or even host it in SQL server itself.

  Arnon

  
  
  
• Windows Application Versus Web Site