VB.NET - Easiest way to Export / Convert WinForm App to Web ASP.NET App

Question

Background: I have a winform application written in VB.NET that uses a WebService to send out different invitations to users based on the marketing company they select to take different interviews. The winform app is pulling string values from a variety of textboxes, listboxes, and dropdownlists to create some XML and push it to a web service called AcompServiceClient

Questions:

• Is there a wizard or 3rd party application that will export winform data to webform asp.net or should I build an aspx page from scratch w/ the same namespaces for all the controls as the winform app?
• Which files do I need to transport or setup to make this work besides the AcompServiceClient web service and the code-behind vb? (look at screenshot of the Project Files)
• Do i have to copy over any parts of the app.config file and adapt it to the web.config file?

I was thinking:

• I can start by copying the Acomp_Invitation_Form.vb to the AComp_Invitation_Web_App.aspx.vb code behind page.
• Add existing webservice off the webserver
• Manually re-add formatting, text boxes, list boxes, and drop down lists on the front end aspx page using the same names / id's

Here's a screenshot of the WinForm App:

Here's a screenshot of the Project Files:

Here's my code on Acomp_Invitation_Form.vb:

Imports TestClient.aCompService
Imports System.Text
Public Class Form1

Private proxy As New AcompServiceClient
Private Sub stuff()

    Dim splitContractingBundle() As String
    splitContractingBundle = Split(cb2.SelectedItem, "|")
    Dim splitMarketingCompany() As String
    splitMarketingCompany = Split(cb3.SelectedItem, "|")
    Dim strDate As String = System.DateTime.Now.ToString
    Dim strOpData As String = String.Format("{0}~{1}~{2}~{3}~{4}~{5}~{6}~{7}~{8}~{9}~{10}",
                                            Trim(splitMarketingCompany(0)), txtFirstName.Text, "", txtLastName.Text,
                                            txtEmail.Text, txtEmail.Text, "1", strDate,
                                            "Pending", "1/1/1900", Trim(splitContractingBundle(0)))

    Dim int1 As Boolean = proxy.AddContractOpportunity(strOpData, "test", "test")
    txtEmail.Text = ""
    txtFirstName.Text = ""
    txtLastName.Text = ""
    lbCarriers.Items.Clear()
    cb2.Items.Clear()
    cb3.Items.Clear()
    cb2.SelectedItem = ""
    cb3.SelectedText = ""
End Sub

Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click

    'TODO Add code to validate that all selections that are reaquired are met.
    'ccemail and the additional message are not required
    Dim firstname As String = txtFirstName.Text
    Dim lastname As String = txtLastName.Text
    Dim ccEmail As String = txtccEmail.Text
    Dim sb As New StringBuilder
    sb.AppendLine("<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""utf-8""?>")
    sb.AppendLine("<root>")
    sb.AppendLine("<MarketingCompany>")
    sb.AppendLine("<MarketingCompanyName>")
    ''Get Marketing Company Short Name
    Dim splitMC As String() = Split(cb3.SelectedItem, "|")
    Dim MCShort As String = Trim(splitMC(0))
    sb.AppendLine(String.Format("<MCNAme>{0}</MCNAme>", MCShort))
    'sb.AppendLine(String.Format("<MCNAme>{0}</MCNAme>", My.Settings.MarketingCompanyShortName))
    sb.AppendLine(String.Format("<ccEmail>{0}</ccEmail>", txtccEmail.Text))
    sb.AppendLine(String.Format("<emailMessage>{0}</emailMessage>", txtMessage.Text))
    sb.AppendLine(String.Format("<MarketerName>{0}</MarketerName>", txtMarketerName.Text))
    sb.AppendLine("<agent>")
    sb.AppendLine(String.Format("<FirstName>{0}</FirstName>", txtFirstName.Text))
    sb.AppendLine(String.Format("<LastName>{0}</LastName>", txtLastName.Text))
    sb.AppendLine(String.Format("<Email>{0}</Email>", txtEmail.Text))
    sb.AppendLine("<CRMGuid>123456</CRMGuid>")
    Dim spltBundles() As String

    For Each item In cb2.SelectedItems
        If Trim(item) <> "" Then
            spltBundles = Split(item, "|")
            sb.AppendLine("<ContractingOpportunity>")
            sb.AppendLine(String.Format("<Carrier>{0}</Carrier>", Trim(spltBundles(0))))
            sb.AppendLine(String.Format("<ContractingOpportunityName>{0}</ContractingOpportunityName>", Trim(spltBundles(1))))
            sb.AppendLine("</ContractingOpportunity>")
        End If
    Next
    sb.AppendLine("</agent>")
    sb.AppendLine("</MarketingCompanyName>")
    sb.AppendLine(" </MarketingCompany>")
    sb.AppendLine(" </root>")
    Dim xmlStr = sb.ToString
    Dim int1 As Boolean = proxy.AddContractOpportunity(xmlStr.ToString, "test", "test")
    MsgBox("Made It")
End Sub

Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Me.Load
    GetCarriers()
    GetMarketingCompanies()
End Sub

Private Sub GetCarriers()
    Try
        Dim ac1 As Array
        ac1 = proxy.GetCarrierNames("test", "test")

        For Each item In ac1
            lbCarriers.Items.Add(String.Format("{0} | {1} | {2}", item.CarrierID, item.CarrierNameLong, item.CarrierNameShort))

        Next
    Catch ex As Exception
        MsgBox(ex.Message)
    End Try

End Sub
Private Sub GetMarketingCompanies()
    Try
        Dim ac1 As Array
        ac1 = proxy.GetMarketingCompanyNames("test", "test")

        For Each item In ac1
            cb3.Items.Add(String.Format("{0}   |   {1}", item.MarketingCompanyShort, item.MarketingCompanyName))
        Next
    Catch ex As Exception
        MsgBox(ex.Message)
    End Try
End Sub

Private Sub lbCarriers_LostFocus(sender As Object, e As System.EventArgs) Handles lbCarriers.LostFocus
    Dim splt() As String
    Dim ac1 As Array
    cb2.Items.Clear()

    For Each item In lbCarriers.SelectedItems
        splt = Split(item, "|")
        ac1 = proxy.GetContractingBundles("test", "test", Trim(splt(0)))
        For Each Pitem In ac1
            cb2.Items.Add(Trim(splt(2)) & " | " & Pitem.FormBundleName)
        Next
    Next
End Sub
End Class

Answer 1

Be very careful of the easy way. While ASP.NET Web Forms might look similar to Windows Forms (controls hooked up to events), the underlying mechanism is very very different. If you have not done so already I recommend you read up on how HTTP works and the life cycle of an ASP.NET page.

Answer 2

Yes, the way you want to do it is the way I have done this many times.

Just copy the methods from your code behind and paste them into the code behind of your asp.net page. Some of your methods are not compatible because they are not supported in asp.net but you will find that our real quick when you build the project.

Create your web page with the controls having exactly the same name as the ones in the winform. When you build, all you have to do is fix your errors and you are on your way.

It looks like you are hooked up to some service so of course you will need to reference that.

Answer 3

Yeah, that's the general idea. I'd pay special attention to any concerns related to using AcompServiceClient in a stateless web environment. It's hard to say whether you have to rethink how you're using that or not without knowing anything about what it is, how it works or how it's consumed.

It doesn't look like you're doing anything else that relies on running in a stateful environment. You're just pulling string values from a variety of textboxes to create some XML and push it to a service. All of that should port over smoothly. You might want to look at adding some client side validation rules, but other than that it looks straight forward.

You'll want to change how you're populating your DropDownList. Those work a little different between win and web forms. It wants to be bound to a datasource in webforms.