How the death of IE affects xBase++?
Should I stop using XbpHTMLViewer?
Will XbpHTMLViewer switch to Edge or Chrome?

Itai Ben-Artzi wrote in news:skbkahtva5ao1t09cc3shv13jm28j72r33@4ax.com:

> How the death of IE affects xBase++?
> Should I stop using XbpHTMLViewer?
> Will XbpHTMLViewer switch to Edge or Chrome?

I can't speak for Alaska Software and I have no idea if XbpHTMLViewer will 
somehow support Edge or Chrome in the future.

Having said that, XbpHTMLViewer may be fine for simple things, but I 
personally stopped using it a long time ago after experiencing its many 
limitations. 

Instead of creating a hybrid Windows GUI (mix of HTML and Xbase Parts), I 
focused on creating a 100% web front end that runs in any standard browser 
(IE, Edge, Chrome, FireFox,...). The web GUI is delivered by a single 
Xbase++ EXE with Xb2.NET library providing the web server.

The Xbase app can be run 2 ways:

(1) Run the EXE from a desktop: This mode is typically used on a single 
user machine although it may also be accessed remotely if you allow the web 
server to listen on the network interface. Running the EXE starts the 
application as a taskbar tray icon and launches the default web browser 
navigating to http://localhost:9880

The taskbar tray icon uses Thomas Braun's excellent little TrayIcon class 
from 2003 - still works great after 19 years! Right click on the tray icon 
and a little menu pops up to launch a web browser or terminate the 
application.

(2) Run as a Windows service: This mode is used when app is run from a 
central server with many users logging in via web browser. It can be used 
on an internal network or on the internet.

The same code base essentially provides both a desktop app and an internet 
ready server application. It also allows the application to be accessed on 
devices that would be impossible using strictly Xbase++ (Mobile, Linux, 
Apple,...)

Best regards,
Boris Borzic

http://xb2.net
http://sqlexpress.net
industrial strength Xbase++ development tools

Boris,
I am using XB2.net for a few, small, add-on apps, but converting the
entire xBase++ code to web will probably take more than 10 years.  At
this junction, I am waiting for Alaska to incorporate full HTML5 into
XbpHTMLWindow (or similar) so I can progressively convert my classes
and code to web-style app.  Till then, I am stuck with heavy
investments in  (Windows only) xBase++ code.

Itai Ben-Artzi wrote in news:aos6bhh1hdjfi68h2llsqedu9jd4kjnvmq@4ax.com:

> I am using XB2.net for a few, small, add-on apps, but converting the
> entire xBase++ code to web will probably take more than 10 years.  At
> this junction, I am waiting for Alaska to incorporate full HTML5 into
> XbpHTMLWindow (or similar) so I can progressively convert my classes
> and code to web-style app.  Till then, I am stuck with heavy
> investments in  (Windows only) xBase++ code.

I know exactly where you where you are coming from. 

I was lucky enough to have made the decision early in the development 
cycle. Looking back, it turned out to be the 'correct' decision for us 
although at the time it was not completely clear that it was (partly do to 
my limited knowledge of web technologies at the time).

Best regards,
Boris Borzic

http://xb2.net
http://sqlexpress.net
industrial strength Xbase++ development tools

Alaska published an article on this issue: 
https://ilx.alaska-software.com/index.php?threads/retirement-of-internet-explorer-11-how-are-xbase-apps-affected.82/

Jan

Jan Escholt Individualsoft
Großer Palsterkamp 6
49328 Melle
Tel. 0 52 26/32 68 08
Fax 0 52 26/32 68 09
Mail info@individualsoft.de
USt.-ID DE 258010232

Am 15.06.2022 um 21:13 schrieb Itai Ben-Artzi:
> How the death of IE affects xBase++?
> Should I stop using XbpHTMLViewer?
> Will XbpHTMLViewer switch to Edge or Chrome?

Thank you, Jan!

Thanks for the link Jan! Till's post gives assurances for those instances where you use the XbpHtmlViewer ("oH") to show your own HTML code in your app. But, to complicate the issue a bit: if you use your oH to actually navigate to web-pages then it becomes more problematic. Designers of web-pages has ceased to support IE which in my experience has resulted that my app a)suddenly crashes when navigating to certain pages b) made certain sites inaccessible since they quit supporting IE. My contacts with Alaska support in 2021 ended in following comment from them: "For the time being I can not offer any resolution on that matter. Nevertheless, I can say that we are working actively on an alternative resolution. However, I fear that we will not be able to release something this year."

Regards,

Johan


Jan Escholt wrote in message news:7856a7be$72a803c7$b31af@news.alaska-software.com...
>Alaska published an article on this issue: 
>https://ilx.alaska-software.com/index.php?threads/retirement-of-internet-explorer-11-how-are-xbase-apps-affected.82/
>
>Jan
>
>Jan Escholt Individualsoft
>Großer Palsterkamp 6
>49328 Melle
>Tel. 0 52 26/32 68 08
>Fax 0 52 26/32 68 09
>Mail info@individualsoft.de
>USt.-ID DE 258010232
>
>Am 15.06.2022 um 21:13 schrieb Itai Ben-Artzi:
>> How the death of IE affects xBase++?
>> Should I stop using XbpHTMLViewer?
>> Will XbpHTMLViewer switch to Edge or Chrome?