"Daniel L. Johnson, MD" wrote: > > > >Just having SQL and Java will not be adequate to provide an ... > > just having a computer will not be adaequate to do good stuff, > > you have to have/write good programs :-) > > > > OK, so I embarrassed myself by revealing that I am a one-pony > show, only competent at doctoring... I hope you didn't take my irony personally here! > Still, aren't there concerns about getting locked into a single > browser? Aha: are you saying "browser"? If so, I do agree!!! You said Java, though, and that's where I couldn't hold back joking. Java and browser are two different things ... as I was sure you knew. Here are the options untangled again: (1) JAVA - a programming language, execution and development environment to write 99% portable stand-alone applications (or components) to do whatever you program them to do. Windowing GUI stuff inluded. There are no limits, only, perhaps, performance limits, which you hear different opinions on. (2) JAVA Applets - like Java but meant to run in a WWW browser. Problem is: user's browser installations typically lag behind in Java support by a few to a major revision. if you use Java 2 now, you may not be able to expect it to work on 50% on user's browsers. Second problem is that browsers have add-on custom APIs to their internal stuff. As soon as you rely on these with your applet, your portability is gone. But Java Applets can essentially do the same that full Java applications can: everything you program them to do. Except - for security reasons - an applet can't write local files (or do local file access) ... well, at least not by default. (3) JavaScript - is supported by browsers, is not really Java although there's some resemblence to Java. Has lots of compatibility issues as I've heard. (4) HTML - allows you to do some forms stuff, very basic, very awkward, any more sophisticated things probably rely on certain non-standard browser tags and attributes that only one browser supports. It seems to me that this horrible piece of software you describe is mostly HTML forms and JavaScript. In Java all the nifty things you describe below are possible: > Based on my experience with form-based data entry in browsers, > there seems to be a remarkable lack of flexibility in screen > placement of prompts and items, especially the inability to decrease > whitespace in order to keep to a single screen. Is there a way > to change the data-entry process contingent on the real-time > field entries? Is it possible to post-process entered data analytically > based on the entries in several fields and use this to detect > logical inconsistencies among entries, or to notify the user > immediately (before page submission) of non-permissible out-of-range > values? Is it possible to combine picklists and tab completion in > netscape, for example? Can this all be done with remote access? > And...when Java scripts are involved, will it be reliable? > The only thing that predictably will crash netscape on my > Linux systems is sites that appear to use complex Java scripts. I don't believe in JavaScript. If you have to use a browser, why not wrapping most of your application (at least each "form") in one Applet? > The concern is with end-user ergonomics. very true, cheers -Gunther -- Gunther_Schadow-------------------------------http://aurora.rg.iupui.edu Regenstrief Institute for Health Care 1050 Wishard Blvd., Indianapolis IN 46202, Phone: (317) 630 7960 [EMAIL PROTECTED]#include <usual/disclaimer>
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