Running window based EXE directly on web browser

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2.00/5 (3 votes)

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Hello All,
I am a software developer and I have made a big window based sotware.And it is working perfectly.But now my client needs the same system in web based.But it will take very much time to rebuild in web based.I can store my window based exe to my web server.
Now anyone tell me that is any way to open that window based exe directly on the browser by a link.Or any way by which I can covert my window base exe to web based system.....

Posted 2-Feb-12 8:29am

shivammpi123

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ZurdoDev 2-Feb-12 14:34pm

I know there are companies that have products that can do this. I am not a fan of the performance or usability but it has been a few years since I looked into them. Spoon is one example, http://www.spoon.net/. Search google for running windows desktop applications in the web browser

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 2-Feb-12 15:01pm

Can do what? Run Window application on server? :-) Or convert? Ah, I see... virtualization. I'm very skeptical anyway, don't think it makes sense in practice...
--SA

ZurdoDev 2-Feb-12 15:07pm

Right, as a quick deployment this could work. But in the long run, there are so many advantages to redo it as a web app instead.

Kethu Sasikanth 2-Feb-12 14:37pm

Rewriting is the best option. But, another option is convert your exe to an ActiveX control. The web browser can consume ActiveX, if your client does not have issue with that!

shivammpi123 2-Feb-12 14:39pm

Thanks Kethu,But may you please explain more how I convert my exe to ActiveX control....

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 2-Feb-12 14:59pm

Are you talking about server-side? Why ActiveX? ActiveX on the Web is evil. Just forget it.
--SA

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 2-Feb-12 16:57pm

So, what this application does? Does it create a Form, Window, Dialog, any GUI? If not, I'll have to remove my answer.
--SA

3 solutions

Solution 3

If you wrote your Windows Forms based application properly, you wouldn't need to rewrite the entire thing, the just UI portions. But, something tells me you didn't layer your application properly, so...

There is no way to automatically convert a Windows Forms based app to a Web Forms (ASP.NET) based app. There is no tool to help you do this either. You have to do it by hand.

The only other option is a virtualized desktop, but this requires a ton of other work not related to programming, such as setting up your application in a virtualized environment, testing it to death to make sure your app is going to work in it, then setting up the infrastructure to deploy this virtualized image and execute it. The client machines are going to need software deployed to them in order to run this virtualized image

There is no getting around these options. There is no "Click this button and you're done" solution. All options are going to take a lot of work on your part.

Posted 2-Feb-12 13:47pm

Dave Kreskowiak

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Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 2-Feb-12 19:54pm

I agree with you and gave a very close answer, but I'm not sure that we understood the OP's situation correctly. The answer by Chris is the opposite but because he assumed it was non-UI application (which I doubt).

As to you note about re-writing "just UI portion", I totally agree, only in real life the ability to do it is a sign of decent application design; and I'm usually doubt if it is really so.

Overall, I agree with all of your post and voted 5.
--SA

Solution 1

"Window based exe"? You must be joking. It makes no sense whatsoever. Just forget about it. Better yet, just thing about it a little. Do you know what server side and client side do? It you thing about it, it should be apparent to you, too.

You can only take the source code from your Windows based application and use it in new project, a class library or your Web application code itself. You should remove any signs of your legacy UI. If you code was well isolated from UI, it will be easier, if not — this work will be closer to development from scratch using legacy source code just for reference. Not to worry — rewriting is very useful. Who could to all the work right from the first attempt? :-)

—SA

Posted 2-Feb-12 8:57am

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov

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Espen Harlinn 2-Feb-12 17:53pm

Good point :)

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 2-Feb-12 19:17pm

Thank you, Espen.
Probably someone who voted "1" (it could not be OP) decided that I'm answering wrong question. The answer by Chris is directly opposite, but we understood the question in different ways, that's why. In all question, OP should clarify what is it.
--SA

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This content, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)

Chris Maunder · Accepted Answer · 2012-02-02T09:34:00

Solution 2

If you want to execute a command on the server by calling a webpage then use System.Diagnostics.Process.Start:

C#

string strCmdLine = "/parameter";
System.Diagnostics.Process.Start("CMD.exe",strCmdLine);

Posted 2-Feb-12 9:34am

Chris Maunder775.8K

Comments

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 2-Feb-12 15:54pm

Chris,

Yes of course, but how did you understand the question? What is Window based? A Windows as a platform or "Windowed", as I understand it? In this case, it makes no sense.

Maybe I understood it wrong. OP should be more clear.
--SA

Chris Maunder 2-Feb-12 16:32pm

I was guessing, but "window based EXE" to me means a normal windows-based application.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 2-Feb-12 16:59pm

Maybe, but still it depends on what this application does anyway; may or may not be able to be used on server part. I asked OP; if this is something which makes sense running in server part, I'll remove my answer.
--SA

Espen Harlinn 2-Feb-12 18:00pm

Good guess, anyways - Chris Maunder 404?? Not Found ??

Running window based EXE directly on web browser

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