944,167 Members | Top Members by Rank

Ad:
Sep 22nd, 2007
-1

Convert a VB.Net app to a web app?

Expand Post »
I wrote a Windows Forms application in Visual Basic 2005.

What would be involved in converting it to run as an internet web application?
Reputation Points: 10
Solved Threads: 0
Newbie Poster
furjaw is offline Offline
23 posts
since Mar 2006
Sep 22nd, 2007
0

Re: Convert a VB.Net app to a web app?

Quite alot if you want the windows forms to actually open from a page or link on a user's web browser. You'd have to either; convert the VB standalone application to an ActiveX application, and use that on the webpage, but be warned, clientside ActiveX only works on Microsoft's web browsers and VB only really works under Windows. Still, you could convert the application in that way very simply; since you could reuse pretty much all the code with a few changes at the entry point of the application; and then add it to webpages with a tiny bit of ( MS only ) HTML code.

http://www.geocities.com/SiliconVall...50/ActiveX.htm
[this is for the old VB; but I imagine the same principles apply today.. although doing the necessary things might require different actions to be taken]

Alternatively, you could rewrite the application as a Java applet, Java is more widely supported than VB, and can do much the same form-based things as VB; it'd be a bit of work, but, IMHO it's the best option here. Alternatively, write it again in Javascript; although, it'd be more difficult to rewrite most VB apps in JS than it would to rewrite them in Java, and JS has no 'forms' framework, at least not for the kind of forms you're talking about. Alternatively, allow the user to download your application; and run it on their desktop. There's nothing to stop you making HTTP connections from your app, which would give you the ability to do everything ( and probably more ) than you could do from an app running in any of the sandboxed ( i.e. highly restricted ) environments that all webpage-based applications are stuck in.

If the application isn't meant to be run at the user's end; i.e. it's a server application; then, I have no idea. I've never used a Windows server for anything more than HTML/basic ASP... but I'm sure it's possible to configure and use a VB app as a server program. It's certainly possible to write DLLs that can be used from other MS technologies, so, you could write a DLL in VB and perhaps use it from ASP... The user ( infact no-one ) will see the pretty forms though.
Moderator
Featured Poster
Reputation Points: 522
Solved Threads: 64
Veteran Poster
MattEvans is offline Offline
1,091 posts
since Jul 2006
Sep 22nd, 2007
0

Re: Convert a VB.Net app to a web app?

This Visual Basic 2005 app is basically a wizard that starts out with a background image. Then the user selects a number of images to overlay it producing a final image that is saved for later retrieval, and can be printed or emailed.
The 'other' images are .png files with transparent backgrounds.
Can the vb.net code be installed on the web server and executed from a browser as an internet app or does it have to be rewritten and, if so, in what language?
Reputation Points: 10
Solved Threads: 0
Newbie Poster
furjaw is offline Offline
23 posts
since Mar 2006

This thread is solved

Either the thread starter or a moderator has marked this thread as solved. You can most likely trust the responses and answers given. There is most likely no reason for any further responses to be posted here. If you have a related question, please start a new thread in this forum instead.

This thread is more than three months old

No one has posted to this discussion for at least three months. Please let old threads die and do not reply to them unless you feel you have something new and valuable to contribute that absolutely must be added to make the discussion complete. Otherwise, please start a new thread in this forum instead.
Message:
Previous Thread in IT Professionals' Lounge Forum Timeline: problems connecting to the internet
Next Thread in IT Professionals' Lounge Forum Timeline: IIS on XP





About Us | Contact Us | Advertise | Acceptable Use Policy
Forum Index | Build Custom RSS Feed


Follow us on Twitter


© 2011 DaniWeb® LLC