[thelist] The Trouble with Web Applications (was Is Target dead)

[Tom Dell'Aringa]

--- RUST Randal <RRust at COVANSYS.com> wrote:
> The problem is that most of our clients are converting from
> client/server apps. In a c/s app, information is transferred differently
> than on the Web, there is no HTTP request, so you can do things more
> dynamically. 

I agree with the above, and all your other statements about clients wanting to jam bad interfaces
from legacy c/s apps into web apps. I see it all the time. Furthermore, managers who used to run
c/s programs now run web app programs. But they don't have the requisite knowledge to do so.
That's why they want to shove 15 columns of data into one web page. It's a big problem, and one
that isn't going away soon. You can try and educate people as much as possible, but the problem is
often your bosses/clients are unwilling. It can be tough.

> For example, let's say you have two <select>s on a page. The second one
> is populated by a choice in the first. In c/s, you can do this without a
> refresh, but on the Web, unless you are using some remote scripting
> mumbo-jumbo, you have to send a request to the server and refresh the
> page. Clients don't like this, and can't understand why it isn't easy to
> make it work the same way (if it is, someone please tell me
> differently).

What you want it this:

http://www.mattkruse.com/javascript/dynamicoptionlist/index.html

Load all the possible selects at page load time. Swap the arrays around basically, its fairly
simple. Matt's script is more complex than others out there, he tends to write very verbose stuff.
Search around you should be able to find more. 

HTH

Tom

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