Dynamics GP Web Client
What is Web Client?
The GP web client provides access to GP through the web browser. The user experience and functionality provided by the GP web client is similar to the experience of using the GP desktop client. The previous GP release had web client built on Silverlight but with the release of GP2016, the web client was built entirely in HTML5.
Fig. 1. Web Client of GP 2018 running without installing any plug in to the browser
Fig. 2. Web Client of GP 2013 asked user to install Silverlight plug-in to the browser
What is HTML5?
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is the standard markup language for documents designed to be displayed in a web browser. HTML5 was the latest major version of HTML. It has been designed to deliver web pages and web applications. It doesn’t reply on plug-ins such as Microsoft Silverlight or Adobe Flash to play web contents like audio and video.
What is Silverlight?
Microsoft Silverlight is an application framework designed for running rich media on the web. Like Adobe Flash, Silverlight is designed to be a plugin installed on the browser to run audio, video, livestreams, and rich graphics online. Silverlight is still available for download and installation, but most browsers have stopped supporting it.
What does HTML5 mean to GP?
Web client moving to HTML5 means users can access GP via most HTML5 compatible browser such as Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari even on mobile devices including IOS and Android. The cross platform, cloud-based access is secure with the correctly installed SSL certificate and SQL server authentication. Also, it is faster and more mobile-friendly than the older GP web client version built in Silverlight.
Web Client VS Desktop Client
The user interface experience in Web Client and Desktop Client is similar but with some key differences. The main one being the way to access GP. Web client is accessed in a browser on a user’s computer and Desktop Client is connected through a remote desktop service.
Here are the benefits of using Web Client:
- Eliminate the high cost of licensing the Remote Desktop Services with client remote access licenses
- Single Sign-On allows users to use one set of credentials
- User can access web client remotely with or without VPN
- Closing the GP page does not kill the connection session, user can re-connect and restore to where the session was left
- Comfortable navigating experience as it resembles other Microsoft Web apps
- Allows users to access most third-party add-ons in GP
And the limitations:
- Not integrated with Integration Manager
- It does not display VBA (visual basic for applications) modifications
- Some other third-party add-ons for GP are not yet supported
