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I just want to get an overview as to how we can implement this kind of functionality that is inline with our web application, basically we have created a web application based on Laravel, that has a kind of document center processing/repo for the solution that we are offering, and my superiors wanted to create a separated desktop application, specifically WINDOWS based, that :

1 - application that has capability of connecting our user's account and upload or download the documents 2 - a print driver that connects directly to the application and can perform upload or download documents 3 - acts as separate folder in the computer but it really is connected to the web application and to the user's account and directory for their documents

Basically it is like this demo

1 - I can create a REST api inside the backend for our web application and can this be used by the desktop application?

2 - How about authentication ? if we use REST, then I can only think of using tokens for authentication, using it inside the desktop application, somebody might be able to reverse engineer the code and hack into the system? The documents are very sensitive that we can be sued if not properly secure or handled.

Sorry I haven't been developing any desktop applications, so pointing me to the right direction would really help.

One of our consultants are insisting to use .NET for the windows application? is this our best option?

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1 - I can create a REST api inside the backend for our web application and can this be used by the desktop application?

Any language talks web nowadays, and so can .NET.

2 - How about authentication ?

This would work the same way your webclient now interacts with your laravel app. The laravel equivalent in .NET would be asp (asp is the old one, asp net core the next evolution) and perhaps the docs would be useful for you. Also - i assume you use HTTPS so the connection is secure?

One of our consultants are insisting to use .NET for the windows application? is this our best option?

For creating native windows desktop applications, .NET is the right choice. What you've been describing here has been created a lot of times already with .NET.

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Thank you very much! I haven't been familiar with desktop applications lately so, .NET is the framework, so I'm assuming C# will be the main language right ?
C# is the language, .NET is the framework. It used to be that all system dlls (those are the .net fx) had major version releases together with windows. Eg. 2.0, 3, 4.6 etc. Now the .NET world is moving to .NET core - the next evolution of the platform. .net Fx 4.8 is the latest of the 'old' framework although many apps still run (and will for some years to come) on that. .NET core is multiplatform. Then there's also .NET standard which i just like an API interface. So .net Fx 4.8 would implement e.g. .NET standard 2 or so and .NET core 3.0 would implement some .NET std version aswell.
@Drew i highly suggest you download visual studio 2019 CE and create a quick console app to get a feeling of the tech stack (sidenote; a popular productivity extension is Resharper which you'll likely want if you're gonna do something serious) . Then follow a quick tutorial, perhaps this one if you can already program php/js; docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/csharp/tutorials/… Then i suggest you create a WPF or UWP application. Those are the GUI frameworks. There's also the older WinForms which is easier, but WPF/UWP is prettier and more performant.
great thank you, I was supposed to ask that question if I can transition easily from web to desktop since I mainly developed the whole web application. Thank you very much!

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