web applications is client-server application?

[Matt]

I think this is the basic concept in ASP server-side development.

My boss told me web application is NOT client-server application. I argued
with him because browser is the client, and the server code put in server.
Then web application should be a client-server application. My understanding
is that a web application is an application that runs on a browser. But
client-server application is not necessary a web application.

Please advise. Thanks!!

 

[dlbjr]

Q: What is a Server / Client Application?
A: When two or more entities interchange data one becomes a server and one becomes a client for
each data exchange.

With this said, A web application is a Server / Client Application.

Benefits of a Web Application opposed to a vendor built Server / Client Application:
No need for addition software installation on the client pc other than the web browser.
Cost to implement and maintain is lower.
License issues and CAL issues (especially in a thin client intranet world) decrease
dramatically.

Issues of a Web Application opposed to a vendor built Server / Client Application:
State management


dlbjr
Pleading sagacious indoctrination!

 

[J. Alan Rueckgauer]

Both of you are right and wrong at the same time. It mostly comes down to
semantics.

The traditional definition of client-server is the processing being shared
between the requester (client) and the backend (server). For instance, the
client sends a request to a server to extract records from a database. The
server pulls them from the database and sends them to the client. The
client then displays them, and the user can make changes. When the client
is finished doing its thing, it sends the changes back to the server, which
then persists the changes to the database.

Along came n-tier architecture. This is essentially an expanded
implementation of c-s, where tasks like enforcing data consistency and
business rules can be divvied-up among multiple processes on the back end,
where the "server" could be one or more physical computers or applications.
The line between client and server also can get rather blurred in the
business logic layer, where some components can be both consumers of data,
as well as originators. All in all, this cleans-up deployment considerably,
as you don't have to maintain the validation and processing logic across all
of the clients, and can rewrite or reconfigure the business logic layer with
little or no alteration of the client.

Web applications are basically a combination of both of these. They are
inherently c-s, in that they are useless without some backend to initially
push HTML and other data down to them and respond to the user's directives.
Their transmission medium is primarily Internet technology (namely HTTP).
However, clients these days can have varying degrees of "smarts" that enable
them to be active participants in the processing stream as well. For
example, a common design these days allows for offline use where an entire
database can be pulled to a laptop, the user goes on his or her merry way in
the field, and syncs-up their changes with the "source" at random points.
Another hallmark of a 'web application' is that it can have a "rich" UI that
maintains a level of realtime interactivity with the backend that approaches
that of a desktop application, without resorting to the contortions required
in "dumb" clients.

I'm only summarizing and over-simplyfing the concepts here. There are
considerably more subtle (and some rather arcane) elements to the
distinctions, but this should give you enough of a basic understanding.

Alan

 

[Roland Hall]

in message : I think this is the basic concept in ASP server-side development.
:
: My boss told me web application is NOT client-server application. I argued
: with him because browser is the client, and the server code put in server.
: Then web application should be a client-server application. My
understanding
: is that a web application is an application that runs on a browser. But
: client-server application is not necessary a web application.

Hi Matt...

Given the context of your question, you are correct. Perhaps the subject of
debate should be web vs desktop.

In simple terms:

A client-server application requires a request from a client to a server,
that processes that request and responds with the results.
Ex. In ASP programming [server-side scripting] you can also have
client-side scripting. Depending on your "client", IE, Netscape, Mozilla,
Opera, etc. your client-side scripting can be vbscript or must be
javascript. The server-side scripting is not client-specific because only
HTML content is passed back so it can be vbscript, javascript, perl, etc.

A web browser does not require a server but then the application is not a
client-server application. The same goes for a desktop application but if a
client and a server are involved, then it is a client-server application by
definition.

IE is a client application.
IIS is a server application.
When they communicate together, client-server activity is the result.

Outlook is a client application. When it connects to Exchange server to
check for mail, client-server activity is the result. The client makes a
request. The server processes the request and passes the result to the
client.


--
Roland Hall
/* This information is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
without any warranty; without even the implied warranty of merchantability
or fitness for a particular purpose. */
Technet Script Center - http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/
WSH 5.6 Documentation - http://msdn.microsoft.com/downloads/list/webdev.asp
MSDN Library - http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp

 

[Jeff Cochran]

I think this is the basic concept in ASP server-side development.

My boss told me web application is NOT client-server application. I argued
with him because browser is the client, and the server code put in server.
Then web application should be a client-server application. My understanding
is that a web application is an application that runs on a browser. But
client-server application is not necessary a web application.

You're basically correct. But your boss wins all arguments, so why
bother with one so silly? Web applications, along with n-Tier
architecture, have blurred the client-server definition to the point
of none of it mattering.

Jeff

 

[Bob Lehmann]

You are essentially correct, but.......

Unless something critical hangs in the balance - like losing my life, I have
found, through experience, that arguing with the boss is usually not a good
carreer-building exercise.

What is the point of this debate you are having with your boss? What do you
win if you are right?

Bob Lehmann