basic question..

[neil230163]

Hi,
I am wondering if someone can help?

I have wrote a client/server application which runs on our cloud server. We have a database with over 64million records and works well. Now we wish to employ someone to write a server side application so browers can access the data. I also have written ISAPI extension application, but want someone to write code from scratch.

I am not sure the best way to go, and what requirements are needed.
I have looked at Windows Services, and WCF, .NET
Are these the way to go? I would like them to write in c#, or if .NET use c++.net.
If he/she uses c++.net with Windows Services, I assume any browser can access the service?

Many Thanks in advance
Neil

[svidgen]

If you're stuck in the M$ world, I'd say a C#/ASP.NET developer is the way to go.

[neil230163]

Thanks for your reply.

As we are stuck with Microsoft , writing in c# or asp.net would do everything we need for collecting data from our server and clients connecting to it using a web browsing (on any platform)?

Also, writing a web service with WCF is the also the way to go?

Any down side of using the above?

Thanks Again
Neil

[svidgen]

Yes. C#/ASP.NET can handle your data access and HTML serving. In fact, if your client application has dedicated data access classes, you can pretty easily drop those into your web application: treat your web application like a "regular client" to some extent, that simply formats the data in HTML and reports it to the browser. You can do the same with your web service.

Now, I can't speak specifically to WCF. I've developed web services using the "basic" ASP.NET Web Service Application template (SOAP services). And that has been a pretty good experience. I have no knowledge of the advantages of using WCF though.

[neil230163]

Thanks again for your reply.

If we get the programmer to write in c# (as i write in c++ and it is similar) , do you find the access speed between browser request and service reply to be fast?

I also assume it doesnt matter what platform the browser is running on?

Thanks
Neil

[svidgen]

I don't think you'd see any difference between C# and C++ performance-wise. The C# will be compiled into a DLL, just like your C++ would be. So, it should be about as speedy as most other web application environments.

[svidgen]

And yes, browser environment makes little impact on overall performance. That said, each individual client may suffer client-side performance issues if their client or client hardware isn't sufficient to handle whatever markup, script, and styling you throw at it.

[neil230163]

Thanks for your help, cheers.

Can mobile apps also access web services?

Is it possible to write also c++.net for web services, and can be accesses in all browsers too. Is there any advantage on using c++.net?

Thanks
Neil

[svidgen]

Mobile apps should definitely be able to use a web service.

Yes, you should be able to use c++ for web service development, and this shouldn't have any ramifications on the usability. If anything, it could just end up being a bit of a development headache.

And no, I don't see any advantages for using c++ over c#.

[neil230163]

I think then c# it is, cheers.

We are running windows server 2003, is it a matter of setting up IIS on port 80?

Neil

[svidgen]

Hehe ... well, I'd say it depends a great deal on the scope of the "it" you're referring to! Once you get IIS installed and running, I think it will set up a default website, accessible on port localhost:80, with a document root in c:\inetpub\wwwroot (or something like that).

[neil230163]

With the ISAPI extension i have written, i save the DLL extensions in the script folder and the browser has the DLL name on the browsers address bar. I assume it is similar with windows services?

Neil

[svidgen]

My only experience dealing with ISAPI extensions is the PHP extension ... and skimming the ISAPI here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Server_Application_Programming_Interface

That said, ISAPI extensions are DLL's that won't necessarily be referred to in IIS by name. Like the PHP extension, they may serve to handle various URLs, parse scripts, etc.

When you develop a web site or service in traditional ASP.NET, you'll end up with .aspx, .asmx, and DLL's (and possibly a few more) as the result of your build. The DLL's will live in a bin folder in (or above?) the document root. Those aspx and asmx files represent the BASE URL. So, you might have this file sitting on your server:

c:\inetput\wwwroot\somepage.aspx

When the browser asks for yoursite.com/somepage.aspx?p=1, IIS looks for somepage.aspx in the document root (by default), finds it, and loads the "scaffolding" present in that file. That file may or may not indicate that some code (from a DLL) needs to intervene and muck with the output before it's sent to the client.

[neil230163]

Thats great, thanks for all your advice on this subject.

Neil