Paul wrote:
> 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?
No silver bullet to do 100% of what you want effortlessly, no. But
the WebHub framework (http://href.com) will cover a couple of
your key bases for you quite nicely, and give you a head-start on
the rest viz:
* It's Form-to-HTML converter can create on-the-fly
representations of your forms and their components, customised
for whatever Web browser the surfer has. It covers all the
standard presentation controls -- panels, labels, edit fields,
dropdowns, radios, checkboxes etc, so if your data is presented
in that fashion, you can get it across onto a dynamic web page
reasonably well
* Data tables can be easily presented too, not via the same
approach, but with the TWebDataGrid components, which
basically just involve hookups to the appropriate datasource and
tweaking as to which fields you want to show, what paging
mechanisms you want to apply, and so on. Then just call from
your web page definition, as required.
Where to start? Go get the trial WebHub version from the site,
also check out the white paper at
http://www.href.com/pub/docsnhelp/WHWHITEP.ZIP or
http://www.href.com/WHVCLWHP. From memory, I think the
F2H component in the trial version has a limit on the number of
controls it will convert, but there'll be enough functionality to get
an idea of how it operates.
NB: Les Chapman is familiar with the work we've been doing with
WebHub for the past several years, so he can give you a fairly
good idea of what's involved...
Oh, and I guess it bears saying (standard mantra <g>): creating
or moving a complex application for the web isn't the kind of job
you learn or do in five minutes. But if you have the right tool set,
you won't hit any brick walls.
cheers,
peter
============================================
Peter Hyde, SPIS Ltd, Christchurch, New Zealand
* Print-to-Web automation http://TurboPress.com
* Web design, automation and hosting specialists
* TurboNote: http://TurboPress.com/tbnote.htm
-- small, FREE and very handy
Find all the above and MORE at http://www.spis.co.nz
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