Hi
I'm across winforms currently but want to write an app that users will have a LAN/WAN between them and database.
So assuming I need to use WCF if I stick with winforms as the UI, or go ASP.net and go web, THEN which of these two approaches would be the easier rampup approach for me?
Note wanted to use Entity Framework.
Winforms binds the access to only Windows machines.
ASP.Net gives you access to across-OS, including devices like mobile phones with browsers etc.
Also, ASP.Net already has good enough security built-in. For WCF, you'll need to create your own layer... I mean, even though encryption/reliability etc exists, but you still need to effectively implement them.
You're comparing apples to oranges here. ASP.NET is a full-fledged web application framework (or more precisely: two of them - WebForms and MVC). WCF is a set of services and supporting architecture - those are two totally different sets of functionalities and capabilities.
ASP.NET and web development present their own sets of challenges - along with the promise of some benefits, too, of course. Webforms is attempting to be pretty close to Winforms - with components you drag on a form, events you hook up etc. ASP.NET MVC uses the Model-View-Controller approach and tries to be closer to the HTML metal, and give you more control over your HTML/CSS markup.
If you use WCF and/or WCF Data Services, and you encapsulate all the business logic, data validation and data access into separate assemblies, you can always branch out and add a ASP.NET web UI to your solution later on.
Learning how to use WCF and WCF Data Services definitely does not lock you into a position where you can't go and use ASP.NET (as ASP.NET Webforms or as ASP.NET MVC) as the frontend UI for that solution.