from your experience, why do you think it's better to choose the web as a platform for such application?
+2
A:
It completely depends on usage and deployment scenarios.
If you want a single point of deploy and don't mind having less control over the UI, use a web application.
If you want tight control over UI and would rather deploy to multiple machines (for each HR personnel), use a desktop app.
From your question, you have already decided that a web app is the way to do. Why bother asking then?
Oded
2010-08-07 09:01:53
I need to know if there's any cons, which might change my mind
Bassel Alkhateeb
2010-08-07 09:09:34
@Bassel Alkhateeb: If you want to know the cons, why did you ask only for the pros? Your question is asking for exactly the opposite of what you want to know. To get the answer you need you should have asked "Are there any **disadvantages** for a HR system being a web app instead of a desktop app?"
Mark Byers
2010-08-07 09:12:48
@Bassel - you don't have as much control over the UI, web apps have timeouts. In many cases the benefits outweigh the negatives.
Oded
2010-08-07 09:13:21
@Mark Byers: do you have a useful answer?
Bassel Alkhateeb
2010-08-07 09:42:21
A:
I can't think of any aspect intrinsic to Human Resources applications that would lead one to prefer Web or Desktop. It's all down to the exact requirements, both functional and non-functional.
For what it's worth, I observe that the trend generally seems to be to use Rich Internet Applications because a): you provide pretty excellent UIs in Browsers these days and b): the deployment pattern is so much simpler. But there are still specialist applications that are quite hard to develop in the browser (for example CAD-style drawing apps - yes they can be done in a browser but it is quite tricky to do them).
Also there are interesting hybrid environments such as those offered by Lotus Expeditor where there can be a small desktop footprint providing a local web server and database allowing off-line working while still running a RIA. [Disclaimer: I'm IBM, I work with this product.]
djna
2010-08-07 09:13:45
+2
A:
Well, the first difference is that you only need a browser to work with a web application so basically your user can work from everywhere. I think you'll save money in the IT department because you do not have to update every single machine but just your web application. But this is just a general thought. When you choose a specific tecnology you can have more advantages or disadvanteges to take care of.
A desktop application in my opinion is useful if your software, to work, needs to take advantage of the client resources.
dierre
2010-08-07 09:14:48