Advantages/disadvantages of browser-based interface vs. graphics

Question

I'm in the design phase for a desktop-based application. Because of the nature of this particular application, I believe it would benefit greatly from a web-based approach (i.e., allowing a user to interface with the application through a browser running in kiosk mode) in order to leverage the simplicity of HTML/CSS/JS and the availability of many great JS interface plugins. Does taking this approach (rather than coding in a native or cross-platform graphics library) come with any gotchas?

Answer 1

The main "gotcha" to doing a web GUI is that you are going to need to set up a web server of some kind. A gui app can be just a single executable. You allso (probably) will need some GCI coding to get information back from the user to your program. In general, it is liable to be a whole lot more work.

Balancing against that is the fact that any user networked to your webserver anywhere in the world using the OS and browser of their choice should be able to operate your program.

Answer 2

Well, your access to the OS and other domains are going to be limited.

What about using something like Adobe AIR that lets you use HTML/CSS/JS and compile it into a proper desktop app?

Answer 3

Please look at http://www.terrainformatica.com/htmlayout/ - the library which was designed to create desktop GUI using html and css.