Silverlight deployment
-
Norm .net wrote:
why can't it install like Adobe Flash?
You should be able to install Silverlight just like Adobe Flash. What problems did you face?
Thanks and Regards, Michael Sync ( Blog: http://michaelsync.net) Microsoft MVP (Silverlight), WPF/Silverlight Insiders
You're kidding right? Firstly you get thrown to a semi-blank screen asking you to install silverlight, then you get an installing dialog (btw you require admistrative priviledges to install), next you're asked to restart the browser :wtf: Flash throws a single warning for activex install - the rest is painless.
-
Anyone here using Silverlight ? What sort of issues do you face with deployment ? I mean, is it a barrier to entry ? We're looking at doing something that mom and pop users would be using, not high tech folks.
Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista. Read my blog to find out how I've worked around bugs in Microsoft tools and frameworks.
My parents are probably pretty typical of the kind of users you'll be getting although my mother used to teach word / excel / access so has a bit of a clue. Even downloading flash would be a barrier to them going to a site as they know to not install anything they don't recognise at the request of a webpage. If they really wanted to go to a site they'd probably call me and get me to see what was wrong with it but they would only do that if it was a site they really wanted to use. I haven't yet installed silverlight on my work PC because I've only ever seen it on MSDN and if I've become so desperate that I'm resorting to MSDN then I'm certainly not going to spend time installing something that is probably going to hose my system.
-
I had this problem when using flash. I got around it not by changing the file name but by adding a constantly changing variable on the end of the filename eg:
myfile.swf?i=<?=unixtime();?>
So you can keep the same filename and only code it once. I thought you might be able to do the same. Then again I've not used silverlight a lot so I'm not sure how it loads.
That's inefficient though - The cache won't be used at all. So, even if you don't change the file, it'll still be loaded from your server. A better idea is to put
myfile.swf?v=1
And then just increment the number every time you make a change :) If you have a deployment script and are using a version control system (like SVN), you could add something to that to insert the SVN revision when you deploy. :) Daniel15 :)
-
That's inefficient though - The cache won't be used at all. So, even if you don't change the file, it'll still be loaded from your server. A better idea is to put
myfile.swf?v=1
And then just increment the number every time you make a change :) If you have a deployment script and are using a version control system (like SVN), you could add something to that to insert the SVN revision when you deploy. :) Daniel15 :)
Yeah, I've used that too. Nice to know about the SVN though. It's not something I've looked at in too much detail, but it's something I plan on looking at as my web team grows. Normal Backups are starting to get a bit silly...
-
You're kidding right? Firstly you get thrown to a semi-blank screen asking you to install silverlight, then you get an installing dialog (btw you require admistrative priviledges to install), next you're asked to restart the browser :wtf: Flash throws a single warning for activex install - the rest is painless.
Is that not pretty much the same? Flash gives you a message to update your flash player. You have to go to a page where you have to remember to uncheck the google toolbar option (oh and click your blue bar if you're using IE). Then you have an activeX install warning. Then it's done. I'd say both are relatively painless to install. Besides, isn't silverlight already on a lot of peoples computers (Windows users) as it was on automatic updates. William
-
Anyone here using Silverlight ? What sort of issues do you face with deployment ? I mean, is it a barrier to entry ? We're looking at doing something that mom and pop users would be using, not high tech folks.
Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista. Read my blog to find out how I've worked around bugs in Microsoft tools and frameworks.
The already implied by others, one of the problems is that people are told not to install anything that a website asks them too. I found that some people also are so used to ignoring adverts that it's difficult to make sure they know that they need to install the plugin. What I mean is that if you were to go to one of my games (eg Hi Stakes Matrix) the game is quite big (800x600). But I had one person go there who didn't have silverlight installed, realised that they couldn't see a game, but ignored the little image it puts up instead saying "install silverlight from microsoft" because they just ignored it as an advert. Then again, I think silverlight was released as an automatic update and the numbers of users who have it installed is supposed to be quite high now. William
-
Is that not pretty much the same? Flash gives you a message to update your flash player. You have to go to a page where you have to remember to uncheck the google toolbar option (oh and click your blue bar if you're using IE). Then you have an activeX install warning. Then it's done. I'd say both are relatively painless to install. Besides, isn't silverlight already on a lot of peoples computers (Windows users) as it was on automatic updates. William
Look we use it on our companies web site and the amount of users (real people - not developers) that ring up asking is this safe to install is unbelievable. Most people just click on the embedded yellow bar on IE to install flash, so they're 2 different install mechanisms - trust me.
-
Anyone here using Silverlight ? What sort of issues do you face with deployment ? I mean, is it a barrier to entry ? We're looking at doing something that mom and pop users would be using, not high tech folks.
Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista. Read my blog to find out how I've worked around bugs in Microsoft tools and frameworks.
Developing for Silverlight since Silverlight 2 and since the release of Silverlight 3 no issues at all. I think the barriers that might exist are in peoples perception rather than any technical issues and its something I've been considering of late. There are people who wont install the plugin purely and simply because its Microsoft. There are those who wont install the plugin because of security concerns although Silverlight is pretty well sandboxed. There are those who wont install the plugin as they've been told not to install anything within a browser. I do believe more and more people will have Silverlight and not be aware of it, through IE8, Live Messenger, Bing etc and if Microsoft persist with Sunday night football in the US which is being streamed via Silverlight then it will become widely installed.
-
Look we use it on our companies web site and the amount of users (real people - not developers) that ring up asking is this safe to install is unbelievable. Most people just click on the embedded yellow bar on IE to install flash, so they're 2 different install mechanisms - trust me.
-
Anyone here using Silverlight ? What sort of issues do you face with deployment ? I mean, is it a barrier to entry ? We're looking at doing something that mom and pop users would be using, not high tech folks.
Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista. Read my blog to find out how I've worked around bugs in Microsoft tools and frameworks.
-
They need the correct version of .NET installed (can be nightmares here), the correct version of the Silverlight client installed for testing and that's it AFAIK. Trying to install the client on various browsers can be hit or miss. I don't know what kind of issues if any the various 3rd party controls might cause including the MS Silverlight Toolkit.
Todd Smith
Todd Smith wrote:
They need the correct version of .NET installed (can be nightmares here), the correct version of the Silverlight client installed for testing and that's it AFAIK.
It's not .net framework its a plugin just like flash, if the client does not have it, can download through automated generated button
Todd Smith wrote:
Trying to install the client on various browsers can be hit or miss.
You only install ONCE, not for every browser
Todd Smith wrote:
I don't know what kind of issues if any the various 3rd party controls might cause including the MS Silverlight Toolkit
No issues, toolkit assemblies copies on the output XAP file get informed please
-
It's a big download still ? This is for users in the US mostly.
Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista. Read my blog to find out how I've worked around bugs in Microsoft tools and frameworks.
It's 6 mb
-
The already implied by others, one of the problems is that people are told not to install anything that a website asks them too. I found that some people also are so used to ignoring adverts that it's difficult to make sure they know that they need to install the plugin. What I mean is that if you were to go to one of my games (eg Hi Stakes Matrix) the game is quite big (800x600). But I had one person go there who didn't have silverlight installed, realised that they couldn't see a game, but ignored the little image it puts up instead saying "install silverlight from microsoft" because they just ignored it as an advert. Then again, I think silverlight was released as an automatic update and the numbers of users who have it installed is supposed to be quite high now. William
You know you can change the HTML content that shows up when Silverlight isn't installed right? That picture shows up because there is an img tag between the Silveright object tags that points to it. On our apps we throw on a step-by-step install guide with screenshots for IE and Firefox in place of the default picture.
-
Anyone here using Silverlight ? What sort of issues do you face with deployment ? I mean, is it a barrier to entry ? We're looking at doing something that mom and pop users would be using, not high tech folks.
Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista. Read my blog to find out how I've worked around bugs in Microsoft tools and frameworks.
I’ve used Silverlight 2 and 3 in a couple of major web applications. Development is generally faster than AJAX development, and in my opinion the UI is much richer. Deployment is as simple as any other website; the Silverlight app is just a file on the server... If you are deploying on IIS 6 you will need to add a mime type for Silverlight, there are lots of posts about it out there so just search for Silverlight mime type. I have run into a couple of companies who wanted Silverlight applications but their IT staff refused to allow Silverlight installs. This is obviously a barrier.
-
They need the correct version of .NET installed (can be nightmares here), the correct version of the Silverlight client installed for testing and that's it AFAIK. Trying to install the client on various browsers can be hit or miss. I don't know what kind of issues if any the various 3rd party controls might cause including the MS Silverlight Toolkit.
Todd Smith
Todd Smith wrote:
They need the correct version of .NET installed (can be nightmares here)
This is an easy one to solve. They don't need .NET installed. You could have save a ton of headaches by skipping .NET installs and opting instead for Silverlight. What is more, if your page is done right those without Silverlight will automatically be directed to the install point from Microsoft.n (Here is a hint, simply cut and paste from the test page that Visual Studio creates for you.) As for the caching issues, I really don't know what could be the issue. Perhaps you need to clear the server cache. (Though if you are using IIS is should pick up that the file has changed. Then again, I have just chosen to paste in from the test page. When I update the program I simply have the users close IE and go back in.