Section 9.3. Application Types

Table 9-1 outlines the many different types of applications that you can build on top of the .NET Framework.

Table 9-1. .NET application types
Type	Technology	Description
Web	ASP.NET	Web applications provide for a simple consistent user experience without all the geographical and system dependencies of thick client applications. ASP.NET, the successor to classic ASP, has been rewritten to abstract the complexities of the web environment to provide a simpler development environment.
Web service	ASP.NET	Web services are not directly exposed to users, but other applications do use them to access systems and data. Web services provide a standard method of interapplication communication across disparate systems.
Windows	Windows Forms	Windows applications provide a very rich, efficient user experience, but traditionally have been difficult to manage because of deployment and system dependencies. The .NET Framework with Windows Forms attempts to alleviate much of this hassle.
Component	COM+	Component applications, such as web services, are not exposed directly to users. An application running under COM+ can provide much of the same functionality as a web service, but COM+ provides more transactional and management capabilities.
Windows service	N/A	Windows service applications are long-running applications that do not require intervention from users. These applications can run without a user logged into the machine.
Console	N/A	Console applications are mostly useful as utility applications that require minimal user interaction. The input from the user generally is provided when the application starts in the form of command-line arguments.

These listed application types should encompass all incarnations of modern applications.