I agree with Jeremy's first idea of exposing the important parts of your
application as COM objects. Delphi allows you to do this very easily.
You may only want one instance of you application to run (depending on load,
etc), but have many clients log in to look at various statuses/indicators on
this one instance. You can do this by adding COM objects that all point at
the same internal main Application object. This way, each customer logging
in, creates a light-weight COM object that provides access to the single
underlying Main App Object(s). You existing application thereby becomes a
COM server, serving up COM objects for each client logging in where the COM
objects only serve as light-weight wrappers around your existing
application.
Once you've done this, it will be very easy to use ASP scripting to
instantiate such objects and generate HTML output from them. If you don't
want to use ASP you can also use a lightweight ISAPI dll to give access to
these COM objects. Be careful with the ASP though, as it should only really
be used as "glue code" betw the COM objects.
If possible, try and make it a stateless system (it will be easier), but if
you need to have state maintained between subsequent lient calls, you can
use WebBrokerPlus from www.cgiexpert.com
or even using the Session object provided by ASP. Also, once you want users
to start making changes to your system you will have to start thinking about
threading issues - but that is possibly a step further.
Hope this helps
Xander
----- Original Message -----
From: Jeremy Coulter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Multiple recipients of list delphi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, July 06, 1999 6:22 PM
Subject: RE: [DUG]: Integrating a Delphi App with a Web server
> The first thought I have is a singe or series of COM/ACTIVE-X objects that
> read values (from a DB or a file).
>
> The other thought would be to give the application the ability to run as a
> type of "SERVER" on a a specific port and having an active x control
(prob.
> a dll) sending data requests to the "SERVER" and being able to receive
from
> it too, and put the data into an HTML page.
> The other way you could do this, is to use active x exe's that have a form
> and the form is visible in the HTML page.
> This exe does the sending and receiveing of data from the "SERVER" and say
> you are wanting to plot some data, you can see the chart in the HTML page,
> on the form......if you know what i mean.
>
> Hope this is some help.
>
> Jeremy Coulter
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On
> > Behalf Of Paul Faid
> > Sent: Tuesday, July 06, 1999 5:24 PM
> > To: Multiple recipients of list delphi
> > Subject: [DUG]: Integrating a Delphi App with a Web server
> >
> >
> >
> > I am looking at adding some web functionality to a Delphi application,
so
> > the application can be 'used' via an intranet, and am wondering where to
> > start.
> >
> > The application is used for monitoring hardware and what we want to do
is
> > allow an operator to navigate around the application and view data via
an
> > intranet. They would not be able to change anything via the intranet,
but
> > the person sitting in front of the real application would still use it
> > normally.
> >
> > The application includes about 300 units and 80 forms. The forms
> > consist of
> > a few tables, but mostly controls laid out to look like elements of the
> > hardware, with real-time data values scattered around.
> >
> > So my first 'naively optimistic' question is...
> >
> > - Are there any silver bullets out there for integrating an
> > existing Delphi
> > app with a Web server?
> >
> > And question two ...
> >
> > - Where should I be looking next?
> >
> >
> > Thanks in advance
> >
> > Paul Faid
> > Software Engineer,
> > Swichtec Power Systems Limited
> > http://www.swichtec.co.nz
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------------
> > ---------
> > New Zealand Delphi Users group - Delphi List - [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > Website: http://www.delphi.org.nz
> >
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
> New Zealand Delphi Users group - Delphi List - [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Website: http://www.delphi.org.nz
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Website: http://www.delphi.org.nz
