Plans for HTML5 / XAML Support for lightswitch?

Question

The question on all of our minds:  With Microsofts clearly moveing away from a mature silverlight runtime toward a xaml / html5 future whats the plan in that area?  I don't see anything in the release notes but having the productivity of LightSwitch would really help the microsoft eco system make that transition.  Just like we don't want want to write msil today, i'm betting folks in this forum dont want to write javascript either.  Even if it didn't make the beta, would certainly help developers and isvs to get ready.

Answer 1

Hi David,

According to this blog http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/microsoft-provides-sneak-peek-of-next-visual-studio-beta/11903 "HTML5 support won't (yet) be included in LightSwitch". Read between the lines - it would imply that something like this is in our future plans, and I'm not saying they are wrong... but we can't yet comment.

Regards,

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Steve Hoag Microsoft aka the Lights Witch (IEnumerable of Newt)

Answer 2

Sounds like we're gonna have to wait for March 26th then.  I'm assuming having Jason Zander and Scott Gu giving a key note together on the same stage at dev connections is the next major opportuntity for news like that.  I get Microsoft desire to capture the unveiling surprise that Apple uses in it's consumer products but it really is a challenge in the development tools space as we all work on longer term projects where architcture choices are made based on roadmaps.  Was hoping for news at build, then beta, now dev connections.  You guys have build an outstanding product.  We'll keep our fingers crossed here.. but if you can drop a line to Telerik and tell them where you're so they start supporting lightswitch it would make all our lives as developers much easier :-)

Best...dave

Answer 3

i'm betting folks in this forum dont want to write javascript either ...

What I don't understand about html5 replacing SL (because there won't be SL6) is this: 

SL allows us developers *not only* building guis for our apps that run in the browser (ie: web), but (and this is a big BUT) SL allows us to program in the client using this small net framework that is installed in the client with it. 

I mean we can program in c# and vb in the client just because of SL. So, when SL is not part of LS *but* html5, will we all have to switch to program in javascript all our client code? 

I think I just need to read something that clarifies my understanding about this issue ... but I really can't understand yet how html5 can replace SL without that being a regression in regard to modern programming and web app developing. After all one of the big advantages of SL was to replace programming in javascript with c# and vb and net tecnologies (linq) in the client. 

Thanks and bye ... 

Answer 4

This question (LightSwitch road map) should really be addressed and the answer is as clear as mud. "Read between the lines ...."  Will this be answered on the 25th. QED

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E tenebris lux. ±

Answer 5

I mean we can program in c# and vb in the client just because of SL. So, when SL is not part of LS *but* html5, will we all have to switch to program in javascript all our client code? 

I do not think that statement is correct :)

The LightSwitch team never said they ever planned to drop the Silverlight client.

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Make Them Ask: That's a LightSwitch App?

http://LightSwitchHelpWebsite.com

Answer 6

The perfect profile would be to output the web portion as html5 so no plugin will be needed and if more functionality is needed (com interop), make a desktop version available that mirrors the web version in Silverlight.

So there!
Kaboom!
Kablowy!