Winform to web form

maricar · February 12th, 2009, 08:40 PM

I am creating an Instant Messenger web-based application. I managed to display the roster in a gridview.When i click on any name, i want to display a chat box so i can send and receive messages.To implement this, i think of 2 things

create popup window using win.open()
create and call a class using System.Windows.Forms and related objects.

I used the 2nd option . I customized it and it works.
Question 1. Does using and and calling winform in web app create problem in the future. (during deployment?) 2. What object can i used to replace it. I want the functionality of winform but have no idea bout possible limitations.. thanks

February 12th, 2009, 11:45 PM

Do you tried calling this win app from another computer??
Is it worked??

My suggestion is,
Make a seperate win application.
and call it from web application( like doc file is opened using MS word when a doc file href is clicked). Similarly you can call the webapp with query string from win app.

maricar · February 12th, 2009, 11:53 PM

I created a class (ChatForm.cs) using System.Windows.Form, then used other related controls..then when i click on any roster item the class is invoked..

ChatForm cf = new ChatForm();
Application.Run(cf);

The form i used is also located in the same web server location..

Imar · February 13th, 2009, 06:59 AM

Quote:

Question 1. Does using and and calling winform in web app create problem in the future. (during deployment?)

Yes, it will. Web is Web, and WinForms is WinForms. You cannot mix the two. Apart from the fact it's technically not feasible, what people who don't have .NET installed? They won't be able to use your application. It may work on your machine, but that's about it; it won't work for other users. A Web application needs to emit HTML, JavaScript, CSS and a bit more but cannot executed windows applications.

If you want to *start* (not run) an application from your web page, you can look into Click Once. With that, you can deploy an application over the web to a client (which needs the .NET framework) and run it there. However, this has of course severe limitations on your target audience and typically only works well in a controlled environment (think Intranet).

Quote:

2. What object can i used to replace it. I want the functionality of winform but have no idea bout possible limitations..

Web Forms and AJAX is what would work for a web based chat application. Take a look at the book ASP.NET 2.0 Instant Results; it has a whole chapter devoted to a web based chat box (not using ASP.NET AJAX though).

Hope this helps,

Imar

maricar · February 15th, 2009, 08:21 PM

Thank you so much..Now i understand..I will try to find other way to accomplish this..thanks and God bless

Old Pedant · February 15th, 2009, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Take a look at the book ASP.NET 2.0 Instant Results; it has a whole chapter devoted to a web based chat box (not using ASP.NET AJAX though).

Dare I ask what it *DOES* use??? An <IFRAME> springs to my mind as perhaps the easiest choice. It's what I used with an old ASP-based system (that worked quite well for a reasonable number of chatters). Actually, I used a pair of <IFRAME>s. One completely hidden, just to receive new messages, and then one where the new messages were tacked onto the list as they were received (so that the server didn't need to send whole list each time).

maricar · February 15th, 2009, 08:53 PM

I was thinking of something similar to a control/controls used in Microsoft forum when posting question(the one which slides half the web page)..also I forgot to include as info that the web app where i am gonna use this has limited space..it's from another application which i believe is a desktop that has a browser navigator..so i'm having problem how to display the chat box coz of that limited space that's why i thought i should display the chat box separately (on another window but i dont want to use web pop up)...

maricar · February 15th, 2009, 09:39 PM

how about the control used here(in your forum) when posting question..is this an iframe...hope to get a some hints..

Imar · February 16th, 2009, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Dare I ask what it *DOES* use??? An <IFRAME> springs to my mind as perhaps the easiest choice.

I didn't write that chapter so I don't know the application very well. But, I did a quick search through the source and found an iframe, together with a bunch of ClientScript call back references....

@maricar: yes, I believe this editor is an iframe indeed, together with a standard <textarea> control and a lot of custom JaavScript.

Imar
---------------------------------------
Imar Spaanjaars
http://Imar.Spaanjaars.Com
Everyone is unique, except for me.
Author of Beginning ASP.NET 3.5 : in C# and VB, ASP.NET 2.0 Instant Results and Dreamweaver MX 2004
While typing this post, I was listening to: Mysterons by Portishead (Track 1 from the album: Dummy) What's This?

maricar · February 16th, 2009, 08:06 PM

Thanks a lot!..you made everything for me easy to understand...More power...