[DUG] BDS2006 or Rad 2007 & the web

[Sean Cross]

An alterative may be to use citrix.  That is what I do with one of my apps.  It's a windows app, but we installed it onto a citrix server.  People can then log into a website and run the application.  There is no change required for the application, but you need to have a citrix server + licenses etc.

We use Metaframe but I think the product is now called XenApp or XenDesktop.  www.citrix.com

Regards

Sean Cross
CIO
Catalyst Risk Management

From: delphi-bounces at delphi.org.nz [mailto:delphi-bounces at delphi.org.nz] On Behalf Of Charlie
Sent: Tuesday, 1 September 2009 12:03 p.m.
To: 'NZ Borland Developers Group - Delphi List'
Subject: Re: [DUG] BDS2006 or Rad 2007 & the web

Thanks Sean. I guess I need to clarify at least one of my questions.


1)    I essentially have no database experience except for dBase, Paradox and Access. If I eventually want to have this application so that customers could enter orders on the web what do you recommend I consider for a database
Not those!
Sql Server Express (free for the db size you are likely to need, use the dbGo components that come with Delphi) or Firebird.  I use SQL server for nearly everything.
I have worked some with Sql Server 2005 - I'm pretty sure it is the "free" version. Will look at that option again.
What are your feelings about MySql?

2)    My customer would like for his customers to be able to access the application to determine the status of their orders. What have you found that enables concurrent users to do this?
Not quite sure what you mean here.  Web apps are concurrent by nature.  Desktop apps on different computers can both access the db at the same time providing you have a suitable database.
Here I mean having customers access the Win32 application by logging into the company's server upon which (some how) a query would be run to retrieve and display open orders for that customer that logged in. By concurrent I mean that multiple external customers would be able to access a view of their open orders at the same time.

3)    Has anyone been able to take a Win32 application and make in work as a web application? Where do I start? What version of Delphi do I use? What database? Was the conversion process very time consuming and costly?
It depends on how well you wrote the original  app :).  If all the data access is done on datamodules, then it is much easier than if the data access components are on forms.  Either way, you are starting a new application and trying to reuse as much as possible rather than converting the original app.
Unfortunately datamodules were not used with the original application so the data access components are on the forms. While it wouldn't be a hard thing to change it certainly will be time intensive to move the components to a data module or reassign a new database to all of those components. Then of course if I move to ADO components then that'll be challenging I'm sure. Really don't have any idea how to pursue that conversion; that is to ADO.

4)    I have tried viewing and studying the demos/examples that came with my versions of Delphi to learn how to create a web application. I guess I'm dense but I'm having a difficult time with these. A few months ago I had the opportunity to work some with Visual Studio. I found tons of tutorial videos and examples that help tremendously with the learning curve. I haven't found that with the Delphi examples that I have. Does anyone have any recommendations?
Look at Intraweb aka VCL for the web.  It is the easiest for what you want to do.  You will still need to recreate the ui, but you may be able to keep the data modules.  Use the latest version of Delphi that you can.
I'll look at the costs of Delphi 2009/2010 as well as any updating of the Intraweb VCL. If there is some way to "keep the underlying logic" then recreating the UI doesn't stress me too much. But then as I said, I a fledgling Delphi programmer.

5)    All I am is a guy that always wanted to be a programmer but never really had the opportunity to program day in and day out. So I'm always in these huge learning curves. I sincerely appreciate any suggestions you can give me.
Thank you so much,
Charlie


Charlie Kerscher
'A Magisterium Faithful Catholic'
Williamson GA
Cell: 770.468.1757

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