I have a project has two parts.
1- Windows form or WPF application that basically connects to database and write/read/update some basic text data (this part is already done).
2- On the other hand, I am currently developing an IOS app that can connect to remote database and read/write/update data.
What is the best way to connect the same SQLite or SQL database from both Windows forms app and IOS app.
Thanks in advance
The best way is creating an API/WebService which will be the interface between the database and your clients: WPF, iOS App and any other client you might want to add in the future.
Using a WebService is more secure, I guess you wouldn't want your database username and password being everywhere.
Using a WebService allows you abstract the data layer. Not using an API and using the connection to the database directly from your Apps will tightly couple your apps with the structure of your tables and any single change that happens in the database will force you to do the changes in the apps.
With WebService you decide what information will be available to the ones consuming it.
There are many others Plus on using WebServices but hope this are enough to clear your doubt.
Related
A few years ago I was instructed to build an Windows Desktop application to control several devices, add and check data from a local database among other stuff. At the time the answer was very simple and I decided to create a WinForms application that provided a solution to the request, the app would control the devices, it would store data in a local database and it would show the data in it's UI.
Even though it worked perfectly for a while, the project has now expanded a lot, to the point were it consists in several projects including two REST API services working on different servers as windows services, a Xamarin Android and iOS apps that access those servers and some other stuffs. Obviously, my dicision of not separating the original Winforms server application's UI from the server stuffs has kick me in the rear. Another problem is that the solution has been working for a long time and the client does not want to give me much time for updating (which by the way it would probably require to rethink everything) so he want me to give him a fast and simple solution to the problematic server - client scheme.
So again I decided to try a fast solution (probably not the right one, but its a matter of time) and created a Blazor app that connects to the local database and it would work in the same server where the winforms app is, guaranteeing that none one will touch that app.
The problem now is that I need a way to show real time notifications in the blazor web UI and update its datagrids, etc., when the winforms app receive an event from one of the devices. At first I thought of SignalR, being the blazor app the server for SignalR and the winforms just a client, but I have no experience with it. Although if SignalR is the answer I'll deal with it.
So, the question is: which is the best way to send real-time event notifications from a winforms application to a blazor app?
Thanks in advance
We're developing a cloud based web application for customer management. One of the main goals i the capability to connect to different local applications on the customer endpoint.
As example, we don't want to have a customer database in out application, the customer should be able to search within his local ERP system right away.
What we need is not much. Only a client on the customers server with access to the local SQL server as well as the COM model.
But as webdevelopers and mainly going with PHP the question came up, what technology we should use?
I've got two approaches in mind:
NodeJS
Lightweight, Javascript and with the Express and winole32 extension we should have everything we need. But the deployment and installation as a service seems to be a bit wacky.
C# .Net Web API
Also a good approach I guess since the client servers are allways windows. But is there a way without IIS?
Or do you have something completely different in mind? It should be very fast and compact. So its basically just a RESTservice that can be deployed with ease.
Thanks for your inputs and thoughts.
C# .Net Web API Also a good approach I guess since the client servers are
allways windows. But is there a way without IIS
It is called OWIN and it is properly documented (web api self host is a good keyword) and works like a charm. Using that on various services to expose an API into the service.
Is there any other ways so i can get the data from mysql database to show in a datagridview in a Silverlight application without using Webservice like WCF webservice .?
Silverlight is a client side web technology and as such cannot access a database directly. Web services are normally the best way to access the data you want but I guess you could get creative using an elevated trust application and reading from the file system in some kind of hacky way but that's not going to be a good idea!
Currently I am developing a WPF application which will handle alot on the client (non business logic that is).
Some data (the business logic) will be coming from a SQL database. To expose this data to the client I was thinking to create a WebService. Normally I would use a WCF Service (or Web Api) to fix this. But in this scenario, there is only a linux server available using a MySQL database, on this server I am unable to host a WCF Service.
I was wondering how I could implement the following:
Users opening the WPF client need to authenticate to the MySQL database.
Users logged in should retrieve some of their personal data coming from the MySQL database.
Which kind of Webservice or technology is the best to go for?
Thanks
You can build a web service in any language, so it comes down to which ones you're comfortable with, or which offer the best tools. If you or your team are already heavily invested in the Microsoft stack, you could try something like Monodevelop: http://monodevelop.com/
I am developing an mobile application which can be run on mobile devices (with OS like Android, iOS, WP7...). This application will get data from online database then store them to local database in device and I can do CRUD with data. There are three ideas:
I'll create a webservice to handle with database on host and use some cross-platform framework to building an app then connect to webservice in order to get and put data to server. Issues:
Which technology should I use to create webservice? (RESTful/SOAP...?)
Which type of return data for easy to handle? (XML/JSON...?)
How to sync between local database and database on host?
I'll make an application for loading an external URL and build a website (with all of features that I need to work with database). Issues:
iOS, Android, WP7... accept for loading external URL in applications?
How to sync data like my first idea?
Should I use single page application technology?
I'll make an application using cross-platform framework and it will work with local database. I just handle syncing between local database and host database. Issue: which is the best database and best framework to do this?
Thank you
How to sync between local database and database on host?
For synchronization, you can take a look at the open source project, OpenMobster's Sync service. You can do all types of sync operations
two-way
one-way client
one-way device
bootup.
Besides that, all modifications are automatically tracked and synced with the Cloud. You can have your app offline when network connection is down. It will track any changes and automatically in the background synchronize it with the cloud when the connection returns. Also, when new data is created in the Cloud, it is automatically synchronized with the local database using Push notifications.
Currently only native development is supported on Android and iOS. However, the next release which is 2.2-M8 (end of March) will support end-to-end integration with PhoneGap on Android and 2.2-M9 (end of April) will add iOS.
Support for PhoneGap will give you the flexibility to build the app using web technologies like HTML5, and JavaScript along with Sync for your local data using OpenMobster.
If you want to go pure native, then you still can use the Sync service and synchronize your local database with your remote database.
Let me know if you have more questions about the framework
Here is a link to the open source project: http://openmobster.googlecode.com
Good Luck!!!
Some suggestions:
If you're planning that your mobile application exchanges data with a server, i strongly suggest you to use RESTful Services. The XML overload associated with SOAP services might get your phone and your network into trouble
The return data can be either JSON or XML. For example, in Blackberry applications i prefer XML because the support included in the SDK.
There are three kinds of mobile applications: Web applications (build with HTML/Javascript and accessed throw a Browser), Native applications (installed in the device and coded in Java/Objective-C or another language) and Hybrid applications (installed in the device but coded in HTML/Javascript and can access some features of the OS). Your URL-Loading type sounds like an Hybrid approach (not quite sure about that), so you can use PhoneGap to build that type of applications.
Hybrid and Web applications uses the capabilities of the phone browser to manage HTML/JavaScript. Now the devices come with very powefull WebKIt-based Browsers, so the single page pattern would work with no problem. Although, it's kind of a wear approach to mobile application design.
I don't see the need of a local database in your app, you can simply handle all the data in the server and access it through RESTful Services on the phone.
I am developing an mobile application which can be run on mobile
devices (with OS like Android, iOS, WP7...). This application will get
data from online database then store them to local database in device
and I can do CRUD with data
Nice!!!
Which technology should I use to create webservice? (RESTful/SOAP...?)
I Will go For REST services.
REST has advantages when:
You have a set of resources that you want to manipulate.
You want to support navigation between resources.
You need scalability.
SOAP has advantages when:
You want to publish a web service description (using WSDL).
WSDL 2 can describe RESTful web service as well. WADL is an alternative to WSDL for RESTful web services.
You want to use security etc. that relies on the use of SOAP headers or some similar mechanism in which data is added and removed from a request.
You want better tooling support.
You want tested platform interoperability.
Which type of return data for easy to handle? (XML/JSON...?)
I personally go for XML
Its not a criteria of which is easy to handle.Its about performance in Mobile applications.
JSON is generally smaller than a XML document and there for faster to work with.JSON can be parsed more efficiently because it can be parsed as JavaScript, which the built-in eval() function will do for you.
How to sync between local database and database on host?
Create a service which contains a timer and runs in background.Call the REST service at intervals to get the latest values. But Since this is a polling kind of thing,then it is not efficient and has less performance. Other Approach will be use of PUSH notifications.As soon as there is any change at the server side, send a push notification to the client(mobile) and hence perform the local database operations.
iOS, Android, WP7... accept for loading external URL in applications?
I didn't understand this point.What you want actually?
Should I use single page application technology?
Single page technology is very good.But it will depend on your business.If it is possible then use it.Else create different HTML pages.
I'll make an application using cross-platform framework and it will work with local database. I just handle syncing between local database and host database. Issue: which is the best database and best framework to do this?
Choosing of the database will depend upon choosing of the cross platform mobile framework.Phonegap is exactly what you need. And the database will be sqlite. Phonegap provide API's for storage,so you can easily access the database of the different mobile platform.