We have a WPF application that we want to convert to Silverlight. I understand there are going to challenges in converting the application. We are willing to embrace those challenges as long as it is possible for us to accomplish the end goal.
Our WPF application launches some exe (non-WPF) files. So the question is, can we deploy those files with our Silverlight application? If so, can we still run the application from a browser?
I don't think you can run exe on client machine from silverlight so there is no point of embedding them into xap.
Maybe you can think about multi-targeting your code so you will have one code-base for wpf and silverlight.
Take a look at this article.
Related
I understand my "this" query may sound very generic but any pointers to guide is highly appreciated.
We are building an WPF application based on MVVM design pattern (with DevXpress controls) and want to achieve the following.
There will be one .EXE file which will run the applications.
All my XAML files need to be as DLL [Why? - Reasons specified below].
Call the DLL dynamically and load with in the WPF application.
[Why?? - Reasons]
Our application is a client/server intranet application. We are planning to use ClickOnce deployment to deploy the application. In case there are any changes to the application, my though is we don't have to change the entire application and recompile it and then deploy so the client machines will be updated.
Instead we can change only those screen or XAML file which are needed and update on the server and ClickOnce will automatically handles the updates on the clients. This also, helps us in maintaining our application and less troublesome for the developers and UI designers.
I am welcome to another better approach also.
I have to write an app that is available to everyone, that is, no single exe that you have to distribute but rather a webpage that will be used for doing mostly client side stuff, reading files writing to files and doing some stuff remotely on other machines.
I don't want to use javascript. Is Silverlight the best tool to use for this? I'm just not clear on the best uses of Silverlight.
OR
Would WPF/WCF be better?
You can go with Silverlight Out of browser Application.OOB
I am Really confused by reading some articles about Silverlight. Whether I should concentrate on WPF or Silverlight or Both?.
It's like asking Web or Desktop : Which one has upper hand?
Silverlight (Web) and WPF (Desktop) Both are similar. But both have their separate workplaces.
You cannot have a Windows Calculator, Task Manager or MS Word (please don't mention google docs) applications on web like they are on desktop. And same thing applies for web applications.
So, it depends on what platform you want to work on.
I dont think its difference between Web and Desktop. Silverlight is still pretty limited by platform it can run on and still requires some local runing process, even in the sandbox.
I think difference here is features vs availability. WPF can give you features of whole .NET framework, total acess to users's computer and some features that are not available in SL. SL on the other hand allows you to run your app on some different systems (Windows, Mac and there is limited support for Linux-based systems), distribution is much easier thanks to web deployment and whole application can be part of your web ecosystem.
Iam personaly for WPF, but thanks to this whole web and cloud-hype in the last years, SL is getting much more attention from side of MS and developers in general.
Reading these questions and their answers may give you some insight into this:
Definitive source(s) for the difference between Silverlight and WPF
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1254937/wpf-vs-silverlight
What is the difference between WPF and Silverlight?
I totally agree with decyclone, it depends on which platform you want to work. If you have prior experience Asp.net/We applications Silverlight is the way whereas if you have worked in WinForms/Windows applications then WPF is the way to go.
But yes most of the concepts in both SL and WPF are similar; so once you have good understanding of those concepts, you work in either without much problem.
If we ignore the platform then WPF is having the upper hand as WPF is kind of superset of SL.
Have a look at this SO question too -
Learn Silverlight or WPF first?
I have a small project that I will be working on shortly that collects employees time and what project the person was working on. Pretty straight forward. I was orginally going to work on it in WinForms but since im new to that I though maybe using Silverlight for the application since I will have a learning curve for each. Here is a couple of business requirements that i need to incorporate into the application.
-System will use an Access database hosted on a particular persons computer.
-Ability to generate and print reports
-Installed on the emploees desktop who will have access.
Would one technology be recommended over the other in terms of what I need to do. Here is a screen mockup of one of the pages I will need to create.
http://teewebco.com/images/main-copy.png
If you want access to the machine on which the application will run (e.g. to access a database, and to use printing), that pretty much rules out Silverlight, without jumping through a lot of hoops (e.g. having to install something on the user's machine anyway).
You say that WinForms will require a learning curve for you - well you might as well use WPF then, as it's a similar technology from the UI perspective as Silverlight. However, you can proably find a lot more resources online for WinForms though, and it's likely you'd be more productive in WinForms given its strong Visual Studio designer support.
Deployment with WinForms or WPF should be fairly easy with ClickOnce.
Since it's a local (desktop) app which needs to access a local resource (Access database), it's probably better to do winforms.
However, you might be better off doing this as WPF instead - it's more current than winforms.
Winforms and WPF are easier than Silverlight when you have to access a database because you can do it directly. If your install base uses only .net 2.0 then stick with WinForms, if you know they can install .NET 3.5 then try out WPF. Just be warned, there is more to learn with WPF and XAML but it's very rewarding especially if you want to get fancy.
Silverlight 3 lets your application to run on desktop as well.
So I'd write it on silverlight. Yet another technology to master.
How can I build a Stand Alone Application with Silverlight 2.
1.I know that Silverlight 3 has the Out of Browser Functionality to build such Applications. But it is in beta and I cannot wait for it.
2. I also had a look at
Desklighter(http://www.blendables.com/labs/Desklighter/Default.aspx) which helps to build a executable from a xap file. But it needs .Net Framework to run, which beats the purpose.
just build a winform app and host iexplore ocx ,
point the ocx to an html page that contains the silverlight app.
there is a dotnet example on tamir khasons blog http://khason.net/blog/stand-alone-multiplatform-silverlight-application/
but it can be achived in any language
well! if you want to go for that particular purpose i agree with daniel's solution..
now regarding #James, yep it will defeat the purpose instead try developing the host in c++ then...