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Mary Choy [mailto:mchoy -at- sirius -dot- com] asked:
| What if the web-based application is all about database access, and the
| database is on the web server, but there is also some client
| stuff that has to
| be installed at the client workstation? In this case, since the
| client has to
| run a client installation program anyways (which will create
| Program group,
| etc.), can that installation program install the .chm on the client's
| workstation?
Good question! My answer: it depends.
The picture definitely changes if there is a client install that you can
control:
-- IF there are components that always get installed on the client AND IF
the client is always a 32-bit Windows machine THEN YES, the install program
can install your CHM (as well as IE, if necessary) and run HHUPD.EXE to
ensure the HTML Help system components are properly installed and
registered. Then the CHM will run locally, and the performance issues go
away. (Although you have a new issue to deal with: how to push updated CHM
files to the clients so they have up-to-date information.)
-- On the other hand, IF the client might not be a 32-bit Windows machine
(as can be the case with these pesky Web-based applications), THEN CHM is
still not a good choice since CHMs still run only 32-bit Windows.
