Help. Client Server or the WEBB?

[Steve Thomas]

I have spent the last year learning VB. I like it very much. I have not had much to do with the WEBB and I am now seeing all these applications on the WEBB that are really cool. My telecom guy is telling me that the WEBB is the way to go (Pearl, CGI, etc). The nice thing about them is that you do not have to install all the DLL's and executables out there in order to run. If the user has a browser, they can get to the WEBB app.

Can anyone tell me why I would use Client Server (VB) rather than WEBB?


Thanks

[Steve Thomas]

Has anyone had this same issue?

[Clunietp]

It depends on the business requirements. If you must reach an audience outside of your corporate LAN, you will usually build a web application (for obvious reasons).

On the other hand, Win32 applications are much more robust than a web based interface. More processing is done on the client (with also a thinner server) and the app is much more responsive to the user.

Once again, it boils down to what the users/business needs and the environment in which the solution will be deployed.

In my own opinion, programming web a app is much more tedious (and therefore time consuming) than a Win32 based client, and when you want to do something more advanced to appeal to the user, odds are that netscape doesn't support it. (might not be an issue with corporate intranets that have standardized on IE, but on the internet, you must appeal to all users)

I don't like netscape because of its lack of support for ActiveX, CSS, DHTML, NT Security, etc. These things blur the lines between Win32 and web based clients, but are not available (or somewhat available, like CSS) with netscape.

OK, I am done griping....

[Steve Thomas]

What about Speed. IS a webb based application slower? If I wanted to convert a VB application to a Webb application, what would be the best software to write webb applications with?

Thanks