Client Requirements for BackOffice

This section describes the requirements your application should attempt to satisfy to be an effective Microsoft BackOffice client application.

You must ensure that your application executes as a 16-bit Windows operating system interface-based client. Many users have the 16-bit Windows 3.x operating system installed on their computers, and to interact with server applications supporting the features outlined in this reference, client applications must also use the 16-bit Windows 3.x operating system.

Developers should note that Microsoft strongly encourages its customers to make the transition to 32-bit operating systems such as Windows NT and Windows 95. For more information on features provided by Microsoft's 32-bit operating systems, see 32-Bit Windows Operating System Interface-Based Client.

Each server application within the BackOffice family has a set of APIs that are intended to be called by client applications requesting functions and information from that BackOffice server application. For Microsoft Exchange Server, MAPI is the predominant API used by messaging clients for communication. Microsoft SQL Server provides several different methods for client applications to communicate requests and transfer information. Microsoft SNA Server has several APIs that can be used to connect with client applications.