Desktop, Web and Mobile Clients

Three client architectures delivering the same solution to different operational contexts

Platform → UI Technology → Clients | WebAssembly | Symbols | Drawing | Responsive | Layouts

Client Comparison

Rich Client

Desktop application with maximum control and performance.

Program: TRichClient.exe (64-bit)
Port: 3101 (configurable)
Technology: WPF

Smart Client

One-click deployment with automatic updates.

http://<ServerIP>/smartclient
or
https:// if certificate is installed

Browsers Compatible with ClickOnce

Historically, only Internet Explorer (IE) ever had built-in ClickOnce support.

• ClickOnce was a Microsoft deployment technology (introduced with .NET 2.0) that allowed launching and installing Windows apps directly from a link (.application file).

• IE could recognize and execute those files without add-ons.

Browsers that require a plugin/extension

• Microsoft Edge (Legacy / Chromium)

  • No native support.

  • Possible with the “ClickOnce for Microsoft Edge” extension (Microsoft-published).

  • Extension is available in the Microsoft Edge Add-ons store.

• Google Chrome

  • No native support.

  • Possible with the “Meta4 ClickOnce Launcher” or “ClickOnce for Google Chrome” extension.

  • Extensions pass the .application file to the local ClickOnce handler.

• Mozilla Firefox

  • No native support.

  • Possible with the “FFClickOnce” add-on (popular for years).

• Other browsers (Opera, Safari, etc.)

  • Generally no plugin support for ClickOnce.

  • Workarounds involve downloading the .application file manually and running it with the Windows ClickOnce runtime.

  • Not recommended, the RichClient installation is better in this scenario, or the web client.

Web & Mobile Clients

Web and Mobile clients compile .NET code to WebAssembly, running in any modern browser without plugins. They share the same technology but optimize for different interactions:

Note: "Mobile" refers to mobile workforce scenarios (tablets, phones, field devices), not exclusively smartphones.

Browser-based access with zero installation.

http://<ServerIP>/html5
or
https:// if certificate is installed

Deployment Considerations

Security Features

Feature	RichClient	SmartClient	WebClent
User Authentication
Task Switch Block
Encrypted Comm			HTTPS
Sandbox Mode
Certificate Auth

Display Rendering Pipeline

All clients receive identical display definitions but render using platform-appropriate technologies:

Server Redundancy

Desktop clients implement automatic failover:

• Primary server monitored continuously
• Automatic switch on failure (< 1 second)
• No operator intervention required
• Seamless return when primary recovers

Web/Mobile clients require external load balancers or manual server selection due to browser security restrictions preventing direct socket control.

Deployment Guidelines

Unified Development Model

Despite different runtime technologies, development remains unified:

• Single display configuration for all clients
• Same tag database connections
• Identical scripting (C# compiled appropriately)
• Unified security model

The system determines which displays appear on each client type, enabling optimized experiences without duplicate development.

Auto-Start Configuration

Windows Auto-Start

Create shortcut in Startup folder:

Rich: C:\Program Files\FrameworX\TRichClient.exe
Smart: http://server/TSmartClient.application
Web: http://server/html5/index.html

Command Line Options

TRichClient.exe /server:192.168.1.100 /solution:MyProject

Performance Guidelines

Rich/Smart Clients

• Multi-threaded execution
• Local graphics acceleration
• Binary communication
• Cached resources

Web Clients

• Single-threaded JavaScript
• Browser rendering engine
• HTTP overhead
• No local caching

Troubleshooting

Connection Issues:

• Verify server port access
• Check firewall settings
• Test network connectivity
• Review server logs

Update Problems:

• Clear browser cache (Web)
• Reset ClickOnce cache (Smart)
• Reinstall client (Rich)

Performance Issues:

• Check network latency
• Monitor server load
• Verify client resources
• Review display complexity

In this section...