Desktop Application Development Platform - Overview

Since the dawn of computer networking and the Internet both enterprises and application developers have been faced with design tradeoffs. Optimizing application performance and ease of use has traditionally caused deployment and security concerns. Now with the introduction of Microsoft.NET the best of all worlds is available.

The Microsoft .NET platform is ideal for rapid application development. When compared to Java, .NET requires less than half of the number of lines of code for a given procedure. Furthermore, .NET offers the simplicity of any browser-based solution while providing the robust functionality and performance of some of today’s most common desktop suites.

To better understand the significant benefits of CDXSmartView™, lets look more closely at some of the older approaches to application development:

In the browser:
The client browser, commonly Internet Explorer or FireFox, simplifies most deployment and dependency issues but often falls short when trying to design an intuitive user interface and experience. Typically, making changes to a web page is a simple matter. But if advanced functionality is required such as custom libraries for file uploading, email or pdf generation this entails IT support and physical access to the server. Most hosting providers will allow commercially available enhancements but balk if special component libraries are required.

Active X Controls or Java Applets:
The client browser does provide support for more robust programming through the use of ActiveX controls and/or Java applets. This solution is costly as each client browser can vary in version and security settings. Deployment of your product could require your users to download large installation or update files. ActiveX also brings with it a history of security concerns which have led many companies to disable this browser feature.

As a Desktop Solution:
For the most robust and intuitive environment developing products as a desktop application is the way to go. This method does not come without some overhead. The size of a desktop installation file, which would include all required dependencies and supporting programs, can vary in size up to several hundred megabytes. Even with the wide spread use of broadband Internet connections, initial installations and product updates can become cumbersome to most users. This solution can also be expensive when dealing with DLL versioning conflicts.

All of these solutions have their pros and cons. Each solution plays an important role in specific scenarios. For example, a browser-based solution is the best approach for an online shopping system on a website. However, the server support required combined with a limiting user experience, makes a browser-based solution for a financial application or database reporting tool a poor choice.

CDXSmartView™:
Imagine the ability to develop a self-updating, robust, cutting-edge desktop application that would only require a download of a small installation file. Now image this application broken into pieces or modules that are downloaded and run when needed. Forms, functions, controls, reports and even support or dependency files are all modular and self-updating. If this sounds attractive to you then choose CDXSmartView™ as your application platform.

CDXSmartView™ supports both local and external users. Whether your users are connecting over the Internet, internally behind your firewall, or both, CDXSmartView™ is a solution that will handle even the most complex project requirements. No complex network infrastructure is required as deployment and updating of your application runs over port 80 on a web server. Updating CDXSmartview™ is as simple as uploading a new set of web pages. CDXSmartView™ applications can even be hosted by a third party provider without any special requirements.

CDXSmartView™ runs on the Microsoft .NET framework and takes advantage of the following features:

Assembly deployment from a web server
CDXSmartView™ applications are developed in small separate pieces more commonly referred to as code assemblies. In the past, desktop applications were delivered by CD, DVD, company Intranet or via the Internet. The entire application needed to be loaded on the client machine in order for the program to run. With CDXSmartView™ assemblies are downloaded dynamically, only when they are needed. CDXSmartView™ applications load quickly. There is no 50MB, half-hour installation process just to get started.

Code Access Security
Application management and Internet security can be daunting when dealing with a program or system that requires multi-tier user access control features. Implementing a multi-tier system could be as easy as modifying an application setting using the Microsoft .NET framework security features. Security settings can be maintained company wide or individually depending upon your process requirements.

Web Services
CDXSmartView™ applications can consume functionality provided by Web services. The capabilities and effectiveness of Web services have improved immensely since the introduction of Microsoft .NET. Web services can safely interact with internal and external resources, 3rd party data stores and legacy systems regardless of the underlying platform.

The CDXSmartView™ platform can be experienced immediately by downloading and running our CDXSmartView™ demo. Click here to download

Please contact us to discuss a custom version of CDXSmartView™ designed just for your application needs: