Internet application

From: JoeBlack (alamb_at_tynetec.co.uk)
Date: 09/30/04 

Date: 30 Sep 2004 08:20:23 -0700

Hi all,

Bit stuck here, I want to write a web app to do the following:

Connect to electronic equipement, this send HTML updates of its
status.
Have a web server that collates this data and stores it in a database.
Allow users to connect to the web server via explorer etc. to request
this data.

My problem is with the last point, I want the explorer page to show a
current live view of whats happening at the equipment end, but I don't
want to use the refresh button, or do an autorefresh on the page
because it will be fully reloaded and will not look very professional.
So I thought maybe can I use an ActiveX object, to give me the
following:

start internet explorer, navigate to web server, load an ActiveX
object if required (ie the first time they vist) this activex object
will display the data in real time and as things change at the
equiment end ie the time at the equipment I want the activex object
to update just that part of the form. ie no full resfresh of a static
HTML page.

At my disposal I have VS.net enterprise with either Win2k or XP

So my questions are:

1 Is what I have mentioned possible ?
2 Is an activex object really the best way to do it ?
3 Has anyone done this before and how did they find doing it ?
4 I am assuming I will need to write the web app with ASP.net, then
allow the activex object to connect to it, is that the case ?

Any way, thanks in advance

Joe

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