At 04:22 PM 28/12/2004 +0000, you wrote:

>Hi!
>
>I'm missing an outline of the different options for creating and/or
>extending IBO-based software to "put it on the net".

There's no outline - we should think about doing a TI sheet on the subject,
though it's a world that changes fast...

IBO-based software that wasn't written for the web is probably classical
2-tier "fat client". Obviously, what you deliver to web browser clients
and get back from them is quite different, since you can't write a GUI. If
you already have n-tier and intraweb apps then the step out to the Internet
is less major.

>I understand there are different techniques in Delphi for a start.

:-)

>Some IBO stuff does not compile in Delphi Pro.

True. Delphi's web support isn't included in D Pro. However, Delphi 7
comes bundled with a crippled version of Intraweb - the full version has
had rave reviews, see www.atozed.com/intraweb. The TDataset-compatible IBO
components at least are compatible with it.

>Some things can be developed both for Win and Linux servers.

If you are talking n-tier then hybrid networks are just fine. You can run
each of the layers in the same internal network and connect some to the
outside world. Typically, you would run your database and web servers on
Linux boxes; if your application server layer is Delphi, you'd run that on
a Windows box; clients can be on anything, since they interface with you
through their web browsers. The database server is visible only to the
internal network and is accessed only by the application layer.

That's a simplified picture: often there are more layers: security
service, encryption service, transaction service...

>Using Apache, IIS,

These are web servers.

>Java

Is a programming language. Between it and the database layer is a language
driver, equivalent in concept to IBO, i.e. it provides a language-specific
interface to the database engine's API.

>(Tomcat).

Is an application framework for Java, equivalent in concept to Delphi or
Kylix. It's one of several big players in the Java development
scene. These in turn interface to other layers.

>.. Well, it's just that I don't know where to start looking. I'm sure
>someone out there has it all squelching around at "the top of their
>heads". And I also think that I might not be the sole interested reader.

It's a big topic. It's so big that, armed with a set of requirements,
you'd usually start at the "cheap end" and lay out something really simple
(comparatively speaking!). A good place to start for the conceptual basics
- with working examples - is the Delphi Apostle site at www.matlus.com.

>Reccomendations?

The Delphi/Kylix world is rich with frameworks for multi-tier
deployment. The Asta site (www.asta.com) is a good place to
go; www.remobjects.com is another, www.href.com (WebHub) is another. All
have support for IBO. Explore the Indy components - older versions of
these come on the Delphi companion disk but you can download them free from
www.indyproject.org. There's some FAQ and other knowledgebase stuff at
that site, too.

>If there already are things I missed, I apologize for this message.

Well, when looking for Delphi stuff, use Google. Another good place to
search for information is CodeCentral.

>BTW; I noticed that the messages I send from Outlook Newsreader via
>atkins does not get inte the newsgroup. All the effort of trying to
>help folks, commenting etc to no avail :( I have the same e-mail in
>the atkins group as in yahoo egroups. Did you get int to work? It's
>a drag to log in to the web UI to read and post.

(^List moderator hat on) I notice that you are using several email
addresses around the various lists. I've yet to figure out how Yahoo's
subscriber system really works. The only thing that's ever worked for me
is to go into my Yahoo account, verify all of the email addresses they have
there for me (you have to do this explicitly for each address) and select
just one for all my list accounts.

Helen