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Smart client tide is rising

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If you have not heard the term "smart client", then get ready, because it is becoming increasingly common both inside and outside Microsoft. Sure, I work for Microsoft, but most of my time as a developer has been before I had a blue badge. I remember doing asp development in late 1996. Brave customers were clearly wanting to explore how to use browser-based applications to simplify deployment, to centralize maintenance, and get data off the client. We used notepad and graduated to glorified text editors of various sorts before retreating to notepad when things got rough. Developer tools were so poor, and the environment just wasn't ready. ADO was new. I was actually still using dblib some place. Wierd. IE was not the standard browser used even in most all-Windows deployment scenes. DHTML was in its infancy.

Then, the push came for the rich-client application. The thinking was: Gee, we just blew our piggy banks on upgrading all of our computers, and now we are doing browser-based applications? Why not leverage some of the processing power on the client? OK- that's a good idea, but how does that look? Data access, off-line storage, network connectivity, cross-platform support, deployment, security, application maintenance- these are just a handful of the big questions that we faced, and there were no easy answers. Web services were perhaps a gleam in someone's eye, but that's about it. Every connection to a remote source was hand-rolled. The entire infrastructure was hand-rolled every time, all of the time.

Now, the Web environment has done some catching up. The advent of ASP.NET made a critical jump into the mainstream so that companies can really leverage Web-based applications. ASP.NET controls, server-side caching, and changes in ADO.NET make it possible to deliver much more powerful apps in the browser by using a stable, intelligent, and quite powerful platform.

But, what about all of the CPU and memory on the cilent workstation? Once again, thoughts turn to the client. And, what about that new Pocket PC? What about the Tablet PC? What about a smart phone? These devices have more and more local power in addition to their network connectivity. It seems that another readjustment is in order. But, once again, the question, "How does that look?"

What seems clear to me after having some successes and some failures is that too often, technology was driving too much of the architectural movement before. This is where I see potential for the smart client initiative. Before, the message was: "Hey, we have new technology that can do this <fill in powerful capability here>, so your company should build applications this way...." Now, I think the message needs to be, "Your company has these needs <fill in needs here>, and here are some guidelines on what you ought to contemplate as you try to meet these needs..." Sure, there is a technical dimension, but I think the needs of the business must lead the way with greater clarity and force.

With respect to the technical aspect, in contrast to previous iterations of this cycle, we are now giving some guidance. I was pleased to see these:

MSDN Smart Client Developer Center

Smart Client Architecture and Design Guide

These are steps in the right direction. Now, it is clear to me that the Microsoft Office System is going to figure prominently in a lot of smart client solutions. This is why the MSDN Office Developer Center (the site I manage) and the Smart Client Developer Center will work together to bring the right content forward to provide the guidance and help I mentioned.

 Rock thought for the day: Despite the shameful "jumping-on-the-bandwagon" move this appears to be (and probably is), I am declaring officially that the White Stripes have won me over in a big way. What can I say? The immediacy of it all has caught me by surprise. There is another duo that you may not have heard of that I would recommend: The Black Keyes (from Ohio- Go Midwest!) and their album thickfreakness. Drums and guitar- and a whole lotta punk-blues.

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