ASP.NET 2.0 Tutorials: Application development in .NET

Client Side Application Development

Client applications are applications that run on the client system-or the desktop of the user. They are closest to the traditional windows based applications and they display forms or windows on the desktop enabling the user perform predefined tasks. Word processors and spread sheets are examples of client applications that employ menus, GUI elements and access local resources such as printers and scanners.

A different kind of Client application is the ActiveX component (now deployed as Windows Forms control) that is displayed as an Internet web page. These applications are executed on the local machine, have access to local resources and include graphical elements. They were earlier created with the help of Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC) or with Rapid Application development tools (RAD)(for example Visual Basic) using C/C++ languages.

The .NET framework integrates these aspects of application development into its existing products to present a single, consistent production environment for the developer. The Windows Forms control which has replaced the ActiveX controls has a semi trusted access to the user’s computer. The binary or natively executing code can now access some of the resources on the user’s system without compromising other aspects of the systems.

This access security additionally enables applications not installed on the user’s system to be deployed through the web. The application so deployed can implement all the features of the local application while being accessed over the network.

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