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> And then there will be no difference between a web app and a desktop app. So why choose to write a "web app" in that case? What distinguishes the two - what
by jbert 18y ago
> And then there will be no difference between a web app and a desktop app.
So why choose to write a "web app" in that case? What distinguishes the two - what is the defining characteristic of a web app? (One comes on a CD, one is downloaded - no) (One is written in C++, one is written in a vm-hosted language - no).
Is it just that you use HTML/JS to write the app?
- jrockway 18y agoOne distinguishing factor is that the "authoritative" copy of the data is on "the server", not on your disk. Web apps may not have full functionality unless connected to the 'net. (Think about how apps that use Gears work now.)
- jbert 18y agoThat's an interesting criterion, but there are plenty of "traditional" desktop apps who keep data server side (any thin-client DB program using ODBC, subversion clients, etc). Even IMAP email clients I suppose. So is a web app "something which keeps primary data on a server, and uses the HTTP protocol to read+write it"?