Presentation Technologies Design considerations for Smart Client Applications

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Presentation Technologies Design considerations
for Smart Client Applications

• Tim Huckaby
• CEO - InterKnowlogy
• Microsoft Regional Director
• Ken Spencer
• KenSpencer_at_FrameworkMasters.com
• Microsoft Regional Director

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About

• InterKnowlogy (www.InterKnowlogy.com)
• Tim Huckaby, CEO
• Custom App Dev / Consulting / Software
  Engineering Firm headquartered in Carlsbad, CA
• Microsoft Gold Partner managed in Socal and
  Redmond
• Design, Architect, Build and Deploy enterprise
  class applications
• Industry Experts
• 90 of the company is published
• Microsoft .NET Application development for 5
  years!
• Microsoft .NET Smart Client pioneers / industry
  leaders
• Information Worker Solutions
• Integration / Messaging, B2B / B2C, Wireless /
  Mobility
• Microsoft BizTalk Web Services, Microsoft
  Active Directory, Security, SSO, Authorization,
  Authentication
• Solutions on the emerging Microsoft servers
• Largest Client Microsoft

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About

• Ken Spencer (KenSpencer_at_FrameworkMasters.com)
• Architect and Software Developer
• Microsoft Regional Director
• Custom App Dev / Consulting / Software
  Engineering based in North Carolina
• Works with local Eastridge Technology (Microsoft
  Gold Partner) and others
• Industry Presence
• Well published (books and magazines)
• Frequent public speaker
• Microsoft .NET Application development for 5
  years!
• Ken helps MS with its vision of next generation
  software
• MS Application experts with different UIs (Smart,
  Web, Mobile, Automatic)
• Integration of most anything with various MS
  technologies
• Solutions on the emerging Microsoft technologies

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Agenda

• The Spectrum From the Web to Windows
• Defining Smart Client Applications
• Building and Deploying Smart Client Applications
• .NET Smart Client Application Development
  technologies
• The Business Value /ROI of Smart Client
  Applications
• Smart Client Technology Roadmap
• Demos

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History

• Tim has done different versions of this session
  at different technical / BDM levels all over the
  world since May, 2003
• The VS.NET 2003 launch in Oslo, Norway
• The World Wide Partner Conference in New Orleans
  up-leveled to a BDM audience.
• Microsoft Tech Ed 2003 Australia, New Zealand and
  Malaysia
• Microsoft Tech Ed 2004 US and Malaysia
• Microsoft Tech Ed 2005 US Smart Client Keynote
• .NET User Groups in Arizona, California,
  Colorado, Florida, Vermont, others for INETA
• VS.NET Connections Conference in Palm Springs, CA
• As a chalk talk at the Microsoft Professional
  Developers Conference in Los Angeles
• As a brown bag lunch session to the Developer
  Division of Microsoft
• As two internal Microsoft presentations at the
  .NET Partner Advisory Counsel
• As MSDN WebCasts in May of 2004 and January of
  2005
• Microsoft Smart Information Worker CIO Briefings,
  Spring 2004
• SoCal Quarterly Architect Council Meetings,
  Spring 2004
• At the Microsoft Global Briefing in July of 2004

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Windows and Web Application Comparison OWA and
Outlook

• Microsoft Outlook Web Access (OWA) is great
  when out of the office
• Would you use OWA in the office?
• Would you use OWA on a train or plane?
• Each has a target use, yet both implement the
  same application logic

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VS.NET WinForms
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Smart Client Solution

• Long-term strategy is to deploy a single smart
  client interface
• UI is tailored based on role and context
• Single place where associates perform their work
• Need Service Oriented Architecture behind the
  scenes
• Built on a pattern-based framework

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VS.NET WinForms
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New ToolStrip Controls

• Common API for toolbars, menus, drop-down menus,
  and context menus
• ToolStrip, MenuStrip, StatusStrip,
  ContextMenuStrip
• Items inherit from ToolStripItem
• Premium design time experience

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New Layout Controls

• SplitPanel
• Replaces Splitter control
• FlowLayoutPanel
• HTML-style flow layout
• Automatically repositions children
• Horizontal or vertical flow direction
• TableLayoutPanel
• HTML-style table layout
• Cell merging for rows and columns
• Absolute, percentage, or autosizing columns and
  rows

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New Control Properties

• Margin and Padding
• Margin - spacing that radiates outwards
• Padding - spacing that radiates inwards
• Defaults to Windows UI style guidelines
• AutoSize
• Applies to almost all controls
• Resize to accommodate contents
• Respects Padding and Margin
• More

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The Argument for Browser-Based Application
Development

• Easy Deployment
• Centralized code base on a server farm
• Easy to update application
• Save code in one place, everyone gets the latest
  release
• Central management of data
• Everyone access the same database

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The Argument Against Browser-Based App-Dev

• Must be connected 100 to run
• Assumes Internet is 100 reliable NOT
• High bandwidth requirements
• User Interface and Data must travel across the
  Internet, each time
• Lots of servers needed
• Application and data are centrally processed
• Lack of a rich integrated experience
• No access to and interaction with the users
  personal context
• No integration with other applications, access to
  their printers, determining and using machine
  characteristics, etc.
• Users see every problem
• Their business shuts down when you have a problem

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Not too smart !!
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Challenge for the ArchitectDivide the Pros from
the Cons

• Browser Pros
• Save code in one place, everyone gets it
  Install/Update
• Central Data
• Broad Reach

• Rich Client Pros
• Rich Interface
• Common interface
• Leverage local CPU
• Leverage Internet, when available
• Code in one place!
• Central main data
• Work Offline

• Architectural Internet Strategy
• Use Internet to deploy data
• Use Internet to deploy application, not run the
  application
• Use asynchronous browser model to update the UI
  and Data
• Abstract Internet from running your business

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The Enterprise Last Mile Problem

• Intellectual capital stored in multiple systems
• Complexity increases as number of systems
  increase
• Users productivity decreases as number of
  disparate systems and user interfaces increases
• Systems effectiveonly if users can interact
  with datanaturally
• Need for data both online and offline

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.NET Smart Client Applications - defined

• Capabilities / Attributes
• Takes advantage of locally installed software
  resources
• Connected
• Offline capable
• Intelligent deployment and update
• Multiple form factors

• End User Requirements
• Occasional users
• Highly responsive functional UI
• Mobile users
• Ecosystem collaboration

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Industry Momentum is Building
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Smart Client Technologies
Smart Clients
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Microsoft Smart ClientsThe Big Three most
compelling .NET Application Development Offerings

• Microsoft .NET Windows Forms
• Microsoft .NET Compact Framework
• Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for the Office
  System (VSTO)
• Word, Excel, Outlook, InfoPath

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Windows Forms Smart Clients

• .NET Framework distribution
• 120 million deployments
• Preinstalled on 60 of new machines and growing
• Included on SP2 CD

• Radically simplified application deployment
• ClickOnce deployment, update, rollback
• Visually Appealing UI
• New Data Controls
• Office Look and Feel
• Developer productivity
• Simplify working with data
• Fewer lines of code
• Few clicks

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Office System Smart Clients

• Connect live business data to your documents
  access them off-line
• Leverage existing Office experience of end users
• Leverage rich and robust Office functionality
• Platform Investments

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Visual Studio 2005 Tools For Office

• Strategic tool for developing Office solutions
• Currently supports building document-centric
  solutions for Word and Excel 2003
• Office development approachable
• Provides all the productivity of Visual Studio
• Provides all the power of the .NET Framework
• Leverages the skills of .NET developers
• Secure and easy to deploy
• Based on .NET Code Access Security
• Online ClickOnce deployment model with Visual
  Studio 2005

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• Visual Studio Tools for Office (VSTO) 2005

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Visual Studio Tools for Office (VSTO)

• Word, Excel, Infopath and Outlook
• Prerequisites (Development Computer)
• Visual Studio .NET 2003 / VS.NET 2005
• Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003

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Windows Mobile Smart Clients

• Instant access to data anywhere, anytime
• Form factor and instant-on more appropriate for
  most field work
• Access existing Web Services
• Leverage .NET development skills and code on
  devices with .NET Compact Framework

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Visual Studio 2005 Smart Device Applications

• Feature Overview
• Languages  Microsoft Visual C, Microsoft
  Visual Basic .NET (VB.NET), Microsoft Visual
  C
• Managed/Native Projects in one solution
• COM Interop
• Debugging
• Attach debugger to running process
• Integrated Microsoft Windows Mobile-based
  Smartphone support
• New Designers
• New Emulator
• CAB and Setup Projects
• Remote Tools
• Registry, process viewer, file viewer, heap
  walker, etc.

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.NET Compact Framework 2.0
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Smart Client Deployment Options
VS.NET 2003
VS.NET 2005
VS.NET 2003
VS.NET 2003
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ClickOnce Deployment
Server

• ClickOnce application deployment published on a
  web or file server

application files

• Client follows link to serverhttp//www.tempuri.o
  rg/my.application
• Application deployed locally in users profile
  directory executed
• Subsequent executions check for updates execute
  local install

Client
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Deployment / Update with ClickOnce
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Application Development Smart Client vs. Web

• Web apps are still more difficult to build
• The rumor of HTMLs death was greatly
  exaggerated
• The Windows application environment is superior
• The Windows GUI is more intuitive / users are
  more comfortable
• Historically, Windows apps have been difficult,
  if not impossible, to deploy
• .NET deployment technologies have fixed most of
  that

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Call to Action

• Architect in the design phase for how an
  application should be surfaced
• Get the Network and Infrastructure folks involved
  in the design up front, at the start of a
  project
• Get the .NET Framework to your Client Machines
• Get Office 2003 Professional deployed
• The Future is Now!

Help drive the Smart Client Revolution
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Contact Tim and Ken
Get the Demos PPT at http//Blogs.InterKnowlogy
.com/TimHuckaby