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Thread: "Custom" client application

  1. Dec 23rd, 2002, 06:23 PM #1
    Geemark
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    "Custom" client application

    I need a piece of advice from you fellow VB programmers

    I am working on an administration application that exchanges data on a client/server basis. What I wish to do, is to offer the user (through the client application) different graphical interfaces for different parts of the system. Sort off like HTML is a standard, but still can represent various interfaces for each purpose.

    What I thought I could do, was to send a list of tools to the client application, and then when the user chooses one of the tools, an Active X Control/DLL is downloaded and displayed on the screen. That way the client applications is always up to date and can be expanded without having to replace the entire software each time something is changed or added to the system.

    However, it seems quite unprofessional to download, register, and then CreateObject to display a tool within the system. Does anyone have any other ideas? I hope you understand what I mean, it's quite hard to explain...
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  2. Dec 23rd, 2002, 06:36 PM #2
    Shawn N
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    Look into using an ActiveX EXE. The control can be stored on one computer and clients will make instances of it by connecting to that server.
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  3. Dec 23rd, 2002, 06:46 PM #3
    Geemark
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    Sounds good

    How excatly does this work and does it work across the Internet?
    What about security? (Not looking for encryption or anything, but if anyone can just access it, it's no good to me).

    Can you direct me to a sample?

    Thank you for your help
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  4. Dec 23rd, 2002, 06:58 PM #4
    Shawn N
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    http://support.microsoft.com/default...;en-us;q188695 shows how to do this.
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  6. Dec 23rd, 2002, 07:21 PM #5
    Shawn N
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    Regarding security: it is only accessible to whoever has a stub to work with and the only way to get that is for someone to get ahold of the setup file for the control. Also, they'd have to be able to see the computer over the internet, which, since you have asked about security, I'm guessing would already be secured.

    I'm not sure what port DCOM uses, though. Maybe 443 so your netadmin would have to open that port up for you for this to work.
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  7. Dec 24th, 2002, 05:46 PM #6
    Shawn N
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    Check out this article, too:

    http://www.microsoft.com/Com/wpaper/dcomfw.asp
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  8. Dec 24th, 2002, 07:17 PM #7
    Geemark
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    Thank you

    Thanks for the replies. Let's pretend security does not matter. How do I get an ActiveX control in an server application to be displayed in my client? The first link you gave me described how to include the required files in the PDW, but how do you code it?

    Oh, and is it possible to create an instance of an ActiveX control not known at design-time? It appeared from that article that you must know it design-time the server address and the component name? If this is the case, then the client application would have to be replaced whenever a new tool is added on the server, which kinda destroys the entire concept of the software...
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  9. Dec 24th, 2002, 07:27 PM #8
    Shawn N
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    I'm really not that familiar with ActiveX Exe projects and have never made one. I just shared with you the little I do know, and whatever articles I thought would help you out.

    Unfortunately, I don't know how to go about with the actualy development and use of the control. Sorry
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  11. Dec 25th, 2002, 08:13 AM #9
    Geemark
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    No problem at all dude! Just glad you could help me get started

    I will just go on and try some different things. I think I'm well on my way already, and today I noticed that the CreateObject method includes an optional "ServerName" parameter, that allows you to create an object on another server. It seems really simple altogether at this point.

    Thanks again
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  12. Dec 25th, 2002, 04:55 PM #10
    Shawn N
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    Glad I could help.

    BTW: What part of Denmark are you in? My last name ("neckelmann") is supposedly Danish and I'm kind of interested in the roots of it all.
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  13. Dec 26th, 2002, 07:42 AM #11
    Geemark
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    Midtjylland (Mittle Jutland or whatever). "neckelmann" doesn't sound danish to me, but perhaps you are right
    I did a quick search, perhaps you can use this: http://www.lklundin.dk/~gedcomp/english.html
    No I did not read that much about it, but go check it out, it's some danish ancestors location service thing...check it out.
    It might just be crap, I don't know heh
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