Desktop Applications are the sort of software you run on a windows-based computer workstation, such as a Microsoft Windows of MacOS X system. (The term “Desktop” comes from the windows desktop, a metaphor for the computer screen.) These applications can present the user with a familiar windows-based user interface, and can take advantage of the workstation’s processing power to provide a flexible, responsive user experience. Because of this, they are particularly suitable for intensive daily use.
Desktop Applications can be used either in isolation on the user’s workstation, or in collaboration with other applications that all communicate over a computer network or the Internet. For example, Microsoft Word (word processing software) can be used on just a single computer or can save documents to a file server where they can be accessed by others. A more complex example might be a custom application which connects to a shared inventory database, and can view and update stock levels in real-time. In general, Desktop Applications are linked together using a central server accessed over a network.
Custom Desktop Applications permit considerable design flexibility. However, there are some established patterns which fit the needs of most organisations. The most popular of these is the so-called 3-tier model, where the software is split in to three parts to make it easier to manage. These parts are the user interface, the “business logic” and the data store.
The user interface is the part of the software which faces the user and allows them to interact with the application. The business logic is the software's “engine” which contains the business rules for the system, such as “Take orders from a customer up to their credit limit of X”. The data store is typically a shared database.
The 3-tier model can offer a convenient starting point for designing customised software. Optimal Solutions has considerable experience with providing solutions based the 3-tier model, and its variations, as well as numerous other types of custom Desktop Applications. We specialise in applications based on the Microsoft .NET framework and the Microsoft SQL Server database system. These technologies can scale from stand-alone Desktop Applications up to enterprise-wide software solutions.
If you think a custom Desktop Application could meet your requirements, please contact Optimal Solutions today. We can supply a complete custom software service, from formalising your requirements, right through to setting up a production environment for the finished and tested software. You can get in touch by sending us a message from our Contact Us page, or using the phone number below.