This topic explains some of the implications of the decisions you make about implementing Web applications and choosing technologies.
Web Implementation Choices
| Client-side ActiveX controls | Server-side COM components | DHTML | |
| Required server infrastructure | Server platform independent. | Microsoft® Windows NT® Server, Windows NT® Workstation, or Windows® 95 or later. | Server platform independent. |
| Required client infrastructure | 32-bit Internet Explorer browser (Windows NT 4.0, Windows NT 5.0, Windows 95, Windows® 98). | Client platform independent. | Internet Explorer 4.0 (Macintosh, Unix, Windows 95, Windows 3.1, Windows NT). |
| Advantages | Reusable client component. Can take maximum advantage of Windows 32-bit desktops. | Reusable server component. Can be used independently of target client. | Dynamic client-side functionality based on W3C standards; cross-platform. |
Web Technology Implications
| Client-side ActiveX controls | Server-side COM components | DHTML | |
| Visual Basic | Easy to build and reuse using Visual Basic forms and the Visual Basic language. | Quickest way to develop reusable business rule components. | Can use Visual Basic 6.0 DHTML editor as alternate forms engine for Visual Basic applications (Win32 clients only). |
| Visual C++ | Build lightest-weight, fastest controls with complete threading options using ATL. | Build lightest-weight, fastest and most scalable components using ATL. | DHTML classes make it possible for server-side and client-side components to generate and manipulate DHTML interfaces. |
| Visual FoxPro | Can consume, but not build controls. Easily integrate ActiveX controls into DBASE applications. | Build server components based on the DBASE language. | Not applicable. |
| Visual InterDev | Can consume, but not build ActiveX controls. Easily integrate ActiveX controls into Web pages using WYSIWYG editor and scripting tools. | Can consume, but not build, server-side COM components. Easily integrate server COM components using Active Server Pages and scripting support. | Best tool to create cross-platform DHTML, with most complete scripting and Web site management support. |
| Visual J++ | Easily build and reuse client-side ActiveX controls using Visual J++ 6.0 visual forms designer based on Windows Foundation Classes for Java. | Build server components based on the Java language. | DHTML Windows Foundation Classes make it easy to generate and manipulate DHTML interfaces. |