Special Edition Using SOAP

Updating a Thick Client Application for Thin Client Use

Web-based application development revolves around the thin client. A thin client is one that relies on the server to perform most of the processing. The thin client displays data and collects information from the user, but doesn’t process the information. Thin clients are akin to the dumb terminals used with mainframes in days gone by. Thin clients ddo possess more intelligence, but they use the intelligence to service user needs rather than process data.

Contrast this with the thick clients that many developers are used to creating. A thick client processes much information locally and passes only the results to the server. Instead of working with raw data, the server merely acts as a ...