Our shop has been developing strictly distributed apps using DCOM (w/VB) since DCOM was available. Now, if I read the papers right, Bill Gates is saying that XML is the stuff that will Microsoft will use to link multi-tiers together in distributed apps.<br><br>Can this be true? I know virtually nothing about XML.<br> <p>John Kisner<br><a href=mailto:jlkisner@jlkisner.com>jlkisner@jlkisner.com</a><br><a href= > </a><br>
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XML vs. DCOM?
- Thread starter johnk
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Karl Blessing
Programmer
XML to my knowledge is a markup language, in broad comparism to DCOM, XML is small, lightweight, and I would assume faster than compiled DCOM. just my guess. <p>Karl<br><a href=mailto:kb244@kb244.8m.com>kb244@kb244.8m.com</a><br><a href= </a><br>Experienced in , or have messed with : VC++, Borland C++ Builder, VJ++6(starting),VB-Dos, VB1 thru VB6, Delphi 3 pro, Borland C++ 3(DOS), Borland C++ 4.5, HTML,Visual InterDev 6, ASP(WebProgramming), QBasic(least i didnt start with COBOL)
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From some initial reading it now looks to me like XML and DCOM will both be important components in distributed apps with browser functionality. <br><br>XML provides for data oriented presentations with superior flexibility where HTML is more oriented to documents. DCOM (or COM+) will continue to be Microsoft's way of connecting distributed apps.<br><br>Anyone else curious about this? <p>John Kisner<br><a href=mailto:jlkisner@jlkisner.com>jlkisner@jlkisner.com</a><br><a href= > </a><br>
Karl Blessing
Programmer
Thats what I figured, because I couldnt see how XML could replace DCOM so easily. <p>Karl<br><a href=mailto:kb244@kb244.8m.com>kb244@kb244.8m.com</a><br><a href= </a><br>Experienced in , or have messed with : VC++, Borland C++ Builder, VJ++6(starting),VB-Dos, VB1 thru VB6, Delphi 3 pro, Borland C++ 3(DOS), Borland C++ 4.5, HTML,Visual InterDev 6, ASP(WebProgramming), QBasic(least i didnt start with COBOL)
Dear John,<br><br>You should check out SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) at msdn.microsoft.com. there are many articles that I think will help clarify this for you.<br><br>Here is a good introductory one:<br><A HREF=" TARGET="_new"> this helps<br>-pete
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Thanks Pete,<br><br>It indeed does look like maybe SOAP will be the horse Microsoft will ride to distributed processing rather than DCOM.<br><br>John <p>John Kisner<br><a href=mailto:jlkisner@jlkisner.com>jlkisner@jlkisner.com</a><br><a href= > </a><br>
John,<br><br>While SOAP could certainly replace all your DCOM development that's not really it's indented use. SOAP is really meant to solve the Wide Area Heterogeneous Distributed Development problem. SOAP is platform independant and language (development language) neutral. While you could use SOAP on your network it would be extremely slow compared to DCOM. So if performance is more important than ease of development you should still use DCOM to perform application/component communication on your network.<br><br>"But, that's just my opinion... I could be wrong".<br>-pete<br>
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Pete, Thanks again.<br><br>We are up to our ears in developing for multi-tier architecture using DCOM and, accordingly, would not welcome a new requirement to change our architecture. However, we use a "fat client" model which I have some concern may be outdated before we get to market.<br><br>It doesn't feel right to me that our business transaction processing apps (ERP & related) would ever fit well into browser architecture. However, I hear that VB7 will provide for our client (UI) tier running on a middle tier and throwing out HTML to clients with browsers.<br><br>Citrix certainly provides for server centric apps with only their small proprietary modules running on the clients. One problem there is the cost of Citrix.<br><br>The JAVA folks have a missionary zeal about their stuff (don't we all?), but that feels to me like a shaky road too.<br>I'd appreciate very much hearing ideas about possible architectures suitable for regular business apps running in a thin(er) client environment. <p>John Kisner<br><a href=mailto:jlkisner@jlkisner.com>jlkisner@jlkisner.com</a><br><a href= > </a><br>
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