Winforms v webforms?

[dwight]

Hi all

First - I apologise if anyone recognises this from a previous post but
I never worded what I wanted to know properly and getting quick advice
is imperative to me now. In future I will never cross post but time is
a factor now and I appreciate any advice I have recieved

I am looking for some advice on when it is best to create a database
entry and management application using .net winforms or webforms

A scenario I am looking at is a LAN business network environment using
SQL Server to store the data. Users maintain and update their own
records

Are there some basic 'rules' as to when you use the ease of creating
and using a winforms application, as opposed to the ease of deployment
of a web forms application?

The known group of users is known and an Outlook group is easily
creatable for contact with the users.

Speed of development and ease of use for end users are major factors.
Users could number 60 and a typical size of the database would be a
total of 10,000 records

Thank you to anyone that can offer me any advice in an area I have
found to be quite a gray one

Regards

Dwight

 

[Kevin Spencer]

If you have .Net 2.0, you might look into building a ClickOnce application.
This is an executable that can automatically update itself with new
versions.

--
HTH,

Kevin Spencer
Microsoft MVP
Professional Numbskull

Hard work is a medication for which
there is no placebo.

 

[Cor Ligthert [MVP]]

Dwight,

If you have .Net 2.0, you might look into building a ClickOnce
application. This is an executable that can automatically update itself
with new versions.

With what, Kevin like me sees probably not any advantages anymore for a
webform above a winform.



Cor

 

[V]

Consider this for web app:
1. Centrally managed application - Any logs, events, etc. will be
logged in a central place and can be managed more easily.
2. Licensing - Depending on how your licensing is structured, each one
of the windows applications might require a SQL Server CAL for
accessing the database.
3. Windows app Offline/Online mode - you would have to do additional
coding for scenarios where there is no or bad connectivity to the SQL
Server (for example, if it is down for maintenance)
4. Target environment - you will need to make sure that the target
framework (1.1 or 2.0) is installed on every desktop in case you go for
winforms. In case of webforms, of course you only need to take care of
1 server.
5. SQL Server connections - i am not too sure, but i suppose if every
windows client made a connection to the SQL server, it would have a
larger load then if a web-based app was using some kind of connection
pool and reusing connections. (Of course, you can also go ahead with a
windows client with web services on a server to fix this problem).
6. Performance - On a LAN-based network, you can provide a pretty
reactive, and fast performing UI in a web-based app.

Well these are a few things that I could quickly come up with.

Regards,
Vaibhav

 

[Kevin Spencer]

With what, Kevin like me sees probably not any advantages anymore for a

webform above a winform.

If I understand you correctly, you're saying that (in general) WebForms have
no advantages over WinForms. Well, I wouldn't say that. I would say that
WinForms are overall much easier to develop, and faster to use, but WebForms
definitely have their place. In a LAN environment, a WinForm would be the
logical choice, at least when you have ClickOnce to work with.

--
HTH,

Kevin Spencer
Microsoft MVP
Professional Numbskull

Hard work is a medication for which
there is no placebo.

 

[Cor Ligthert [MVP]]

No you don't understand me correctly. I mean it in the context of the OP
inside a Lan. I could have added that however for me that is obvious outside
that area the Winform has only disadvantages in my opinion. Where a Lan is
for me as well a Wan, that can be used as Lan with whatever technology..

But it is not bad you point on it, it could have been understood wrong.

Cor