| Web-based
bug tracking is now supported by most companies that produce bug tracking systems. The
approach that companies have taken to implement these systems varies considerably but they
can generally be categorized into two types of systems: browser-based bug tracking systems
and web client/server bug tracking systems. The PR-Tracker Web bug tracking system is
designed as a Web Client/Server application. This article explains how PR-Tracker uses
caching and client/server technology to provide a high performance and ergonomic interface
that can't be achieved by any browser-based bug tracking system.
Two advantages of browser-based systems
Before explaining the advantages that PR-Tracker has over
browser-based bug tracking systems its only fair to acknowledge the advantages of using a
browser-based system. One advantage is that browser-based systems that work with Netscape
can support multiple platforms including Windows, Unix and Mac. PR-Tracker only supports
Windows systems. If the requirement to support multiple platforms out weighs the
requirement to support a large number of users with acceptable performance, a
browser-based solution is a better choice.
The second advantage of browser-based systems is that no
software (other than the browser) needs to be installed on the client system. While this
may not seem significant to some people, there are companies that require paperwork work
to request and approve installation of software by IT personnel.
What is a web client application?
Many people have the misconception that an application that
works over the internet must somehow use a browser. Probably the easiest way clear
up this misconception is to consider a well known example. Both Microsoft Outlook and
Hotmail are capable of sending email over the internet. Outlook is a Windows client
application and Hotmail is a browser-based application.
I could proceed to describe to you in written detail what a
web client is, however, words sometimes fail to overcome preconceptions. To this end we
have setup our server so that you can connect to it with PR-Tracker Web Client. If you are
willing to proceed, please continue to the next webpage that will provide instructions for
downloading and installing PR-Tracker Web Client. This way, not only will you have the
opportunity to see how a web/client systems works, but you will also be able to experience
the high performance and ergonomic interface of PR-Tracker Web Client without having to
setup your own server first.
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Note: PR-Tracker does provide a browser interface collecting bug
reports from customers. |
