Top 10 Reasons for Developers to Create Smart Clients
Built to take advantage of new XML technologies, Smart Client software delivers the best of both worlds, combining the reach of the Internet with the power of local computing hardware.
Discover the 10 best reasons for developers to start building Smart Client applications:
Smart Client application can store data locally and use the network in a smart way to provide functionality and reliable operation even when network is unavailable. This capability is especially important when the user is mobile and needs to be productive.
Smart Client applications use the capabilities of the local operating system and power of the local CPU for calculations. Having a dedicated CPU is important for achieving good performance. Furthermore, the capability to run local code off loads many task that are done by servers in a typical web application delivery. Increased Performance and scalability
Developers of all backgrounds are finding that Smart Client applications are easier to write. The development does not need to consider things like session management and server round trips. The intuitiveness of the programming model and the richness of the code already provided in the class libraries enable developers to reap huge productivity gains.
In many cases applications need to use hardware functionality that exists a machine that can be accessed only through a Smart Client application. This functionality can be an I/O device or a graphic accelerator (as in the case of games).
The simple interop mechanism provided with the infrastructure to build Smart Clients with the .NET Framework enables developers to program against them in a native way. Furthermore, applications built using the .NET Framework can connect with existing systems and packaged applications--regardless of their underlying platform.
With No-Touch Deployment, Windows-based Smart Client applications can be deployed and updated on target PCs simply by copying the necessary components to a Web server that can be accessed by the end users. Furthermore, using code access security can result in better control of the Smart Client code executed on the client machine resulting with the proper experience to be delivered to the appropriate users.
Smart client application can be delivered on various mobile platforms with various form factors (Smartphones, PDAs, Tablet PCs, Laptops) sharing a unified programming model. Furthermore, since network is not a reliable resource for mobile applications, developers can add data synchronization features into the application to ensure smooth operation.
The .NET Framework was designed from the ground up to support XML and Web services. This allows for easy manipulation of data and easy integration of the application with heterogeneous systems.
Smart client applications can use the functionality of the underlying operating system to provide a rich, responsive, and intuitive user experience that is not depended on server roundtrips or browser rendering capabilities.
Smart client applications can be smart as to the way data is handled within the application. According to different considerations, developers can choose to store and use local data or connect to remote databases in order to deliver applications that work whenever it is needed and not only when network connection is available.
Code Sample:http://msdn.microsoft.com/smartclient/codesamples/default.aspx