I hope I'm posting this question to the correct newsgroups. We have a web based database application that's accessed using IE. The application opens a popup window to run in. With all the popup blockers and compromised browsers out there, I'm looking into developing a web based custom client side application to access the application with. The application will be developed to only reach the web application site using the https protocol. It also needs to javascript enabled. It will be downloaded from the main web site and used to access the database application.
Any suggestions/ideas on how to go about developing the client application? What tools tools are out there for such a project.
Since you need javascript the cheap-n-dirty approach (xml parser, gui library of your choice and just enough widget logic/https for your app to work) is a no-go. I don't know of a python library with html rendering and javascript (and https support could easily be another barrier).
Another option starts with Mozilla/Firefox; just strip away all unnecessary GUI 'features' with a customized XUL. I imagine you could effectivly hardcode the 'home' URL and make the location bar read-only without great effort. That will give you HTTPS support, html rendering and full javascript fairly painlessly.
Course' if your app was designed and tested for IE only you'll have to wrap the MS rendering/javascript IE libraries. Plenty of commercial programs do it (AIM and Quickbooks come to mind) but I've never tried and suspect there are serious licencing hurdles.
> I hope I'm posting this question to the correct newsgroups. We have a > web based database application that's accessed using IE. The > application opens a popup window to run in. With all the popup blockers > and compromised browsers out there, I'm looking into developing a web > based custom client side application to access the application with. > The application will be developed to only reach the web application > site using the https protocol. It also needs to javascript enabled. It > will be downloaded from the main web site and used to access the > database application.
> Any suggestions/ideas on how to go about developing the client > application? What tools tools are out there for such a project.
It's easy. Just create an application that hosts the MSHTML ActiveX control (IE itself minus the interface). With tools like Delphi or Visual Basic, it's literally a matter of dragging and dropping the control into the form. Even in Visual C++ it's not that hard.
Forcing Javascript to be on is somewhat more tricky. There are a couple COM interfaces that you to implement.
I suggest you google "MSHTML hosting" for more info. The newsgroup microsoft.public.inetsdk.programming.mshtml_hosting is also an excellent resource.
> I hope I'm posting this question to the correct newsgroups. We have a > web based database application that's accessed using IE. The > application opens a popup window to run in. With all the popup > blockers and compromised browsers out there, I'm looking into > developing a web based custom client side application to access the > application with. The application will be developed to only reach the > web application site using the https protocol. It also needs to > javascript enabled. It will be downloaded from the main web site and > used to access the database application.
> Any suggestions/ideas on how to go about developing the client > application? What tools tools are out there for such a project.
> > I hope I'm posting this question to the correct newsgroups. We have a > > web based database application that's accessed using IE. The > > application opens a popup window to run in. With all the popup > > blockers and compromised browsers out there, I'm looking into > > developing a web based custom client side application to access the > > application with. The application will be developed to only reach the > > web application site using the https protocol. It also needs to > > javascript enabled. It will be downloaded from the main web site and > > used to access the database application.
> > Any suggestions/ideas on how to go about developing the client > > application? What tools tools are out there for such a project.
