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RE: libcurl versus WinInet

From: Bradford Bruce <bbruce_at_interpool.com>
Date: Thu, 6 Jul 2006 08:29:51 -0400

Been there... Done that...

I had an application that used WinInet to connect between a rich-client
app and an HTTP based server.

We had some servers in-house and others outside our main network. Each
one needed its own proxy and id/password settings for connecting.
WinInet will only store one current configuration. This meant that we
couldn't connect to both an internal and external server at the same
time.

Another issue was trying to explain to people that when they messed up
their IE settings, the application would fail.....

Some of our customers did not USE Internet Explorer. It was installed,
but not configured (sort of like Outlook Expres <G> ). This meant they
had to set up and configure the beast that is IE, even if they would
never use it.

It IS possible to work around some of these issues by providing a
configuration screen within the application itself, but by the time you
do that, you could have libcurl up and running.

What features are you currently using in WinInet? If you have a simple
request, nothing beats IXMLHTTPRequest.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/xmlsdk/
html/63409298-0516-437d-b5af-68368157eae3.asp

Brad Bruce

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-----Original Message-----
From: curl-library-bounces_at_cool.haxx.se
[mailto:curl-library-bounces_at_cool.haxx.se] On Behalf Of Matt Campbell
Sent: Wednesday, July 05, 2006 8:16 PM
To: curl-library_at_cool.haxx.se
Subject: libcurl versus WinInet

Hello:

I'm trying to decide which is better for desktop applications under
Windows, libcurl or WinInet. I know about libcurl's portability,
maturity, flexibility, and speed. However, it seems that WinInet may
still be better for interactive desktop apps, because it automatically
handles proxy support. That is, WinInet uses the proxy settings defined

in the Internet Options control panel, and it can automatically prompt
the user for proxy authentication when required. Also, if the user is
behind a proxy that requires NTLM authentication, WinInet seems best
suited to handle that, since it's the official NTLM implementation on
the client side.

This issue reminds me of the trade-off between cross-platform GUI
widgets (e.g. Qt, Gecko, JFC/Swing) and native widgets; the former favor

consistency across platforms and freedom from platform quirks, while the

latter ensure consistency *with* the target platform and other apps that

run on it. With GUI widgets, the advantage of using native facilities
is not only aesthetic but also practical (e.g. accessibility for users
with disabilities, which I could discuss at length). Does the same kind

of trade-off hold for HTTP clients, especially in light of system-wide
proxy settings and a proprietary authentication method?

I don't want to be antagonistic toward libcurl, but I would appreciate
thoughts on this subject. Thanks.

-- 
Matt Campbell
Lead Programmer
Serotek Corporation
www.freedombox.info
"The Accessibility Anywhere People"
Received on 2006-07-06