Thin or Thick?


When a developer sits down to build an application, one of the first decisions that he makes is whether the application should be a thin- or thick-client. Thin-client applications are browser-based applications, usually .html, .jsp, .aspx, .asp, or .php pages, whereas thick-client or smart-client applications are usually completely local executables on the client machine.

Over the past few years, thin-client applications have become the preferred application type. Companies such as Google, Microsoft, and others have proven that browser-based applications can add a lot of value to the enterprise. Thin-client applications have made tremendous headway mainly because of just how easily end users can access them, as well as how easy they are to deploy.

To access a thin-client application, you just type a specific URL in a browser of your choice. It really requires only two things-a browser and Internet or intranet access. The deployment and maintenance of thin-client applications also offer powerful advantages. Instead of having an instance of the application reside on each and every end user machine, only a single instance of the thin-client application resides on a server. It is available to anyone who can access the server. This makes for easy upgrade and management of the application. You only have to change the code of this single instance to give every end user automatic access to the latest and greatest version of the application. Another important reason for building a browser-based application is that it can run on any type of vendor operating system. A thick-client application does not guarantee this.

Despite the fact that an instance of the thick-client application must reside on each end user's machine, this technology offers a superior richness that can't be found in a thin-client version of the application. Also, thick-client applications do not require Internet or intranet connections in order to function. A thick-client application can run completely offline or in a disconnected mode. Probably one of the biggest reasons for choosing a thick-client application comes down to performance. Thin-client applications are quite synchronous in nature. Most actions you take require a request-response action to occur with the application instance that resides on the remote server. Thick-client applications, on the other hand, don't require this request-response action. In fact, you can create a thick-client application that is asynchronous-allowing it to perform multiple tasks at the same time. Another big advantage to this application style is that it enables you to be fully integrated within the end-user's platform. A thick-client application has access to thread priorities on the client machine, File IO operations, and more. There is definitely a lot of power in this application style.




Professional XML
Professional XML (Programmer to Programmer)
ISBN: 0471777773
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 215

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