>Some random thoughts about Delphi (things I have picked up recently.)
>it has become the favorite front end tool for many developers who want a platfom independent soltuion to various sql servers. they have GPL's their interbase sql server (the one orig written by Aston Tate) years ago a free way to get their product known.
>
>Delphi can just as simply attach to Oracle or Ms sql server. and being they have, or are going to shortly port delphi to Linux as a front end to the linux gui. I think they are making strides.
>
>For the comment about it be a web development solution. I may be alone in this, but I for one, see a slowdown in 'web Only' solutions out there, it looks to me the business user is looking more for what can be achieved with a powerful front end tool like VFP rather than relying on hTML and forms even with asp. while HTML is nice, and easy, and helped the internet get to where it is today, is not the future language of the internet. Just a shot in the dark, but I see, soltuions like XML with fat clients - like delphi - vfp VB etc, taking up more and more of the cutting edge technology.
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>Long live the VFP fat client. computers - personal computer can handle it now. and the internet is fast enough to handle it, why not use it.?
>
>I dont know about the rest of you, but for me I would rather write everthing for a user in vfp, and never expose business users to web enabled forms ever... the web form technology is bad at it best, and when you add onto it, how well - truly well javascript really works. (across various platforms) then you will really know.... Let the web sites out there turn into publicity sites. and leave real business applications back on the desktops, (getting data from a server somewhere,) xml data. odbc data... etc.
>
>Bob Lee

Bob,

I respectfully disagree. Thin client technology is here to stay and only getting more popular as HTML and browser scripting technologies advance. I believe that most business users embrace the browser front-end because it's something they are already familiar with and it gives them an enjoyable user experience.

In addition, the benefits of deploying a web app with the UI completely browser based is it gives you a potentially unlimited user base, platform independence and no installation and configuration/upgrade woes.

HTML forms and client and server side scripting have brought web applications to a new level and we no longer have to settle for the lame looking anemic web form with the sparse interface and lonely submit button. My latest web app has dynamic input controls that change from row to row according to the data and a very rich UI. What's more, it's easy for users to learn and train on because they already know how a browser interface works.

There are countless other benefits to developing a web solution with a browser front-end like integration with other web apps using hyperlinks, graphics and style sheets for a more attractive app and so on. And what about platform independence? That's a bigee too. With a fat client you have to write a different EXE for every platform (Windows, Macintosh, LINUX, UNIX etc.)

I used to resist the browser front end concept as well until I saw the light. Now I'll never go back to building fat client apps regardless of whether or not they use HTTP for data transmission. It just doesn't make sense to me.

Regards,

-JT