Forum OpenACS Q&A: Think Deployment, re-deployment, etc...

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Posted by Ben Adida on
Before you jump on the thick or plump client bandwagon, consider your deployment issues, specifically redeployment. What happens when you want to update functionality? Believe it or not, Microsoft is the company that describes this best. "Loose coupling" is what you need. Meaning you couple your client and server loosely enough that you can upgrade the server without having to upgrade the client. The web is a very good example of a loosely-coupled environment, and the very concept of loose coupling is what made the web so successful.

If you go to a thicker client model, and you forego loose coupling, be aware that your deployment and maintenance situation becomes a complete nightmare. Make sure the advantages you gain from such a move are so clear and obvious that you're ready to deal with this nightmare.