application development

[itnchans]

I am an microsoft access/sql server programmer. Several colleagues has expressed an interest in creating web based applications, or remote windows based applications created for clients who can connect to their system via the internet. Hence nothing is physically loaded on clients office server or PC's, all application and data held on remote server.
question:

1)what development environments are available to fit my needs?
2)what sort of server specification would I be looking at?

Thanks in advance

[DaveSawers]

1) AJAX used via PHP, .NET or whatever you like to program in.
2) Depends on the applications.

[explorador]

as Dave says, those tools will help you.

Search also for RIA, rich internet applications. There are tools to develop apps that run on your desktop but access data on remote servers, databases and such. Flash and Silverlight might suite your needs.

[kyobul]

In every case you'll need :

a web server as Apache / or Microsoft IIS (Windows Server)
a web-driven database as SQL, MySQL, Oracle, SQLLite or similar
a server-side programming language as PHP, PERL, ASP
a client-side language as (X)HTML / Javascript, XML

Generally 2 groups of environment are available :
1. LAMP - Linux / Apache server + Mysql / PHP combination

2. Microsoft Solution - Windows Server + ASP / .NET

In your case probably the Microsoft way would be preferable.

[nthampi]

As you already have experience in Microsoft Platforms, the .Net platform may be a better choice specifically in terms of learning.

[theoart]

Considering you work with Access and SQL Server I would recommend going the route of asp.net. I think you will find it is more familiar to you if you are already developing within a Microsoft environment. There are a lot of great options such as PHP and even classic ASP but you will probably want to develop with an IDE like Visual Studio or Microsoft Visual Web Developer to take advantage of some of the controls and not do as much coding. If time is not as important, take a look at PHP. I think it is more straight forward but keep in mind that when you are researching bugs, error messages and "how tos" you will see mainly references for people using it in a Apache with MySQL combo.

[Uncle Dog]

Originally Posted by itnchans

I am an microsoft access/sql server programmer.

I sympathise. Now is your chance to get into some really useful, exciting and FREE stuff. Apache - MySQL - PHP - HTML - CSS - JavaScript. MySQL will be a no-brainer for you but I expect you'll be inexorably drawn to PHP when you see all the wonderful things it can do with your lovingly crafted database.

[NJ]

Originally Posted by theoart

Considering you work with Access and SQL Server I would recommend going the route of asp.net. I think you will find it is more familiar to you if you are already developing within a Microsoft environment. There are a lot of great options such as PHP and even classic ASP but you will probably want to develop with an IDE like Visual Studio or Microsoft Visual Web Developer to take advantage of some of the controls and not do as much coding. If time is not as important, take a look at PHP. I think it is more straight forward but keep in mind that when you are researching bugs, error messages and "how tos" you will see mainly references for people using it in a Apache with MySQL combo.

In my limited experience with .asp and ASP.NET, I have found that .asp (while rather old) is much more portable. Both of the ASP.NET sites that I have been stuck working on were a coding and file structure mess. Of course, that could be lazy developers. However, it seems to me that once you start with .NET you are pretty much stuck in .NET - limited portability.

Comments???

[techmaniac]

You are correct about the portability to some extent. If you can code in C#, you can also convert to a stand-alone application at a later date. This would make your life easier for development of a large project that could go in many directions (web based, distributed computing, desktop app), while giving you the ability to connect to databases and code for the web. Functionally, you'll have more tools with C# and .NET than classic ASP.

[NJ]

Originally Posted by techmaniac

You are correct about the portability to some extent. If you can code in C#, you can also convert to a stand-alone application at a later date. This would make your life easier for development of a large project that could go in many directions (web based, distributed computing, desktop app), while giving you the ability to connect to databases and code for the web. Functionally, you'll have more tools with C# and .NET than classic ASP.

When you say tools, do you mean prewritten modules/libraries, or do you mean tools in the IDE?

I guess that the point is choosing the right tool for a particular need - and cut the bull about the development. I went to one presentation where the development company touted an HTML editing tool as their own custom software - baloney, it was an OTS C# app. I didn't say anything in the meeting, but had some discussion with the site owner.

Another programmer was displaying an RFID system. When I asked him if he was using C#, he didn't want to talk to me any more. He seemed very nervous that someone would steal his idea, which he thought was extremely innovative - but it's just another data collection system. I would have gone to bat for him, but he wasn't just nervous about theft, it turned out that their system wasn't portable beyond their own computers!

[techmaniac]

When you say tools, do you mean prewritten modules/libraries, or do you mean tools in the IDE?

I mean prewritten modules and libraries of the language. Additionally, you have the ease of an OOP that will speed (hopefully) the development process.