How to properly implement a desktop client for a web application?

Question

PHP

There is a web application (a very simple store) and you need to write a desktop application for it. There are a couple of questions on how best to do it:

1. What is the best way to communicate with the server. Through sockets or through api?
   
2. Authorization of the client on the server. If you do it through api, then you need to generate a session key and pass it on every request, as far as it is correct and safe.
   

Web part in php, I want to write a client in C#.

Answer 1

An ideal solution would probably be an API for accessing data, and on the basis of this data, you can already build a web face or desktop or mobile application.

Answer 2

JSON Web Token and API, implemented in any language and platform, it seems to me that it will do

Answer 3

1. Sockets for constant exchange, if you need to quickly receive data from the server. It can be corrected.
AJAX if data is requested as needed.
2. Use SSL and don't worry about the session key

Answer 4

IMHO, you need REST! :)