WPF, WBA(Full Trust) - What are the differences?

Question

I believe I am missing something here. What is the difference between WPF, WBA(Full Trust) applications,other than WBA with full trust runs in a web browser? I think WPF is a windows application, either thick or smart client, WBA with partial trust is lke a Java Applet with WPF UI and WBA with full trust(Installed WBA) is like a windows application running in a browser. Is this correct?

Answer 1

Windows Presentation Foundation is a platform for building rich client applications.  You can build two “types” of WPF applications:

1. Standalone Applications.
2. Web Browser Applications.

Standalone applications are full trust WPF applications that are installed windows applications. 

 

Web Browser Applications are non-installed (cached) sandboxed browser-hosted applications.  It is possible to create trusted full trust WBA applications, but these cannot be installed.  At any trust level, WBAs are windows applications that are built using WPF.

 

I don’t know if by the term “windows applications,” you mean additional characteristics other than “built using windows technology to run on windows.”  If you are, could you expand on your question?

 

 

 

Answer 2

If you like the analogies with Java  :
1. WBA = regular Java Applet
2. WBA full trust = signed Java Applet - you can ask for more rights in a Java applet (like reading from the local hard disk) but you have to sign it with a certificate etc.
3. Standalone WPF application = Standalone Java application

Answer 3

Thanks Karen. What I mean by windows application is a Windows Forms application. My question is a full trust WBA aplication, even though it is not installed, has any limitions when compared to an installed standalone WPF application?

Answer 4

Thanks Viliescu. That was a good analogy. Again, I am not a Java programmer, but my question is what are the limitations of a full trust WBA vs Standalone WPF? (In Java analogy , can signed java applets have the full capabilities as of Standalone Java application?)

Answer 5

I think the only difference is that full trust WBA are not "installed" so they will not work offline.

Answer 6

Does that mean, a heavy weight WPF rich client application, something like a document management system that interfaces with scanners and printers on the client machine can run in a browser, as a full trust WBF?

Answer 7

Yes, but why would you want to do run in the browser? Why not make a regular WPF application with a ClickOnce deployment?

Answer 8

viliescu wrote:

Yes, but why would you want to do run in the browser? Why not make a regular WPF application with a ClickOnce deployment?

I am just exploring different capabilities of WInFX. Also, a thought, if I can offer my upcoming product as a subscription based full trust WBF application. With WBF, i feel I have greater control over the application based on the subscription status.