[Mono-list] Re: AW: Re: AW: OSS alternative to ASP.NET for use with Mono?

[Richard Matthias]

>From: mono-list-admin@lists.ximian.com=20
>[mailto:mono-list-admin@lists.ximian.com] On Behalf Of Tom
>Sent: 07 August 2004 16:18
>To: Mono-list@lists.ximian.com
>Subject: [Mono-list] Re: AW: Re: AW: OSS alternative to=20
>ASP.NET for use with Mono?
>Yes, but this isn't a 'gift'.
>
>This is very proprietary, and has network and lock-in effects=20
>that jeeps don't have.

I'll assume you're referring to the supposed "patent crackdown" that the
anti-MS crowd are convinced is coming? If you think that that is any =
more
than just FUD, surely it applies to the whole of Mono and not just =
ASP.NET?
Sure I've heard all the arguments about this ECMA rule about patents, =
etc.,
but the news of the last few years should tell you that any technology =
can
get hit with a patent claim any time whether it is a clone of a =
companies
product or is independently developed. Your best way to avoid risk is to =
buy
some of the "very proprietary" software you despise from a large company =
that
can afford to defend patent claims from 3rd parties. Free software can =
never
be truly free while patents can apply to software. So, either buy your
software from a big vendor or just ignore the patent issue altogether =
and get
on with your life.

>Besides, Jeeps are too big, take too much gas for my needs, and many =
are=20
>not very reliable.  I'd prefer a simple, reliable, compact vehicle of =
some
sort.

Great, so use PHP.

Seriously, what is so compelling about Mono that makes you want to use =
it
instead of something else like Java for instance, but not want to use
ASP.NET?

>> I don't know much about web programming, as I'm realy a C++ =
developer,=20
>> but might the long term alternative to ASP.NET be a server API that=20
>> builds and exchanges XAML/XUL with the client?

Yes, maybe one day, in the future, but even Microsoft don't know where
they're going down that road yet. ASP.NET is something that works *right =
now*
and that trumps arguments about what technology might be the best way to =
go
one day.

If you don't know much about web development maybe you don't know that
ASP.NET is very compelling technology that moves the game on a long way =
past
where ASP was and makes things like ASP, Coldfusion and PHP look a bit
old-fashioned. Of course people that don't know ASP.NET think that it's =
just
"a bit better" than ASP and since things like JSP and PHP4/5 are a lot =
better
than ASP, that ASP.NET is a waste of time. They are very wrong.=20

It's more usual for web developers to think "I want to use ASP.NET but =
I'm
not sure about having to use Windows Server for my website". Mono has =
offered
a great service by allowing people to run ASP.NET apps on Linux.=20

What you are asking for is something 'less good' than ASP.NET just to =
make
you feel better about some supposed patent issue.

>> I'm just surprised that there is no real alternative to the MS API,=20
>> given that there are so many alternatives to the MS API for the=20
>> desktop GUI.

There are many alternatives to Windows Forms for the desktop API because
emulating Windows Forms on non-Windows platforms is more than a little
difficult. And cross-platform GUIs don't necessarily make much sense =
anyway.
Web serving is whole different world where it doesn't matter what =
programming
language you use or which OS or framework because only HTML is generated =
so
there is not really any requirement for anything different from a
technological perspective anyway.

Wow, I'm really still trying to get my head round someone wanting to use =
mono
to serve web pages but not want to use ASP.NET. I strongly suggest that =
if
this hasn't convinced you to learn and use ASP.NET, you should check out =
JSP
(Java Server Pages). If you have issues with using Java I'd be surprised =
if
they don't also apply to Mono. If Java is to 'heavyweight' for you then =
use
PHP. I think that covers all the main alternatives and if you haven't =
used
ASP.NET you won't know what you're missing anyway :)

Regards

richard