We need your comments !!!

Anon

Hello ! ,

We are developing a small application for
A small Hospital managment.

The proposed technology is as follows.
there will be a LAN with NT-worksations and Linux server. The client application is in VB that will run on NT-WS and database will be mysql installed on the linux server.

The choice of mysql & Linux instead of SQL-Server & NT-server is for that we are fans of opensource and also as our most clients will prefer economic solution.

But also we understand that end-users of our application in hospitals will not be very
computer savvy.

In future we are also looking for a open source substitute of VB to develop user friendly client applications.

Your comments on this will be highly appreciated as we are a bit apprehensive about our architecture all being very young in team.

with regards
Amit Sinha

Anon

Hi!

Why not write the front-end in HTML so every employee could use the browser to connect. That would solve a lot of problems and would save you hours of programming. Site-like navigation is also much easier to get used to especially because everyone knows Internet these days.

Best regards,
Stas

Anon

Hi Stas!,

Thanks! for your reply.

I had thought of it earlier. Right now the entire logic part is in Front end application in VB.

If we use HTML , we will need a webserver
& some server-side coding on our Linux server. I don't know How good a idea is to
make a web based application for hospital management.

I hope you will agree that Linux- mysql will be a sucessful try!!

with regards
Amit Sinha

cornelalexa

Hi.
Personally I think is ok.
I'm a VB and PHP developper too.I use both languages for their purposes.In this you choice for the Vb client it's the most useful since Html it's not very efective for this kind of purposes.
In any case you can use MySql on the Windows Nt too and benefit of a lot of things like Dcom and MTS for a fast processing.I use the bot Windows And Linux and for the last the only alternative is Java and other things based on it.
I think you agree that the java needs a lot of development time.
Also the Apache,Mysql,Php and even Perl are available in stable versions for Windows.
If your choise is based only on not buying the Windows id according licenses the use Linux.If you can afford that then use WinNt.
That's my opinnion.(only the opinion).
Hope to help.

vfwood

hi.

the company i work for used to use VB for the front-end to our database software and all the functionality of this has been successfully replicated using php on web servers.

I suggest getting Mandrakes version of Linux. it comes with php, apache, mysql and postgresql. I have found much more online support for php, apache and mysql than for Microsoft products. www.phpbuilder.com is a perfect example.

With VB we had to install software on every client. 'client' machines are something a php developer need not worry too much about normally, as long as standard HTML is used, and pages are tested on any browser you wish to support.

Anon

Hi,

We are a new start-up.
Can you tell me a bit more about PHP. Is it
really working good in small distributed
applications like hospital management

Basically I am a server-side JAva programer
We aim at providng solutions that use more and more open source and non-pproprietry softwares ( minimum microsoft stuff )
thanks!!
amit

maxpup979

PHP rocks in this setting....I have built a couple of similar systems, with web based front-ends...Never had a problem with them...

As for the question of whether this is a good solution for small distributed apps, think of it this way....Lets say you have 10 workstations...and one web/db/etc server. You have one central location to control everything. Need to make a minor change? hey...its done...do a complete rebuild?...you only have one place to fix it. By centralizing your app, you cut down on your work.

The other major advantage I have found is that it can be made accessible to the whole world. This can also be quite dangerous (so be careful). But this is handy when you have doctor X, or patient Z or whomever, and they need info while they are NOT at the hospital. As I said, this does have some security risks, but they are quite easily managed.

Hope this helps
Darren

The hardest part of this is the UI. Well designed VB can give the user some greater flexibility as far as look and feel go. Either solution will work obviously...But for me, I tend to lean towards the web based solution.