microsoft's changes for an insecure internet

5.18:  news.cyb/dev.net/silverlight killed by html5:
subodhnpushpak 2011:

Microsoft Silverlight is an application framework
for writing and running rich Internet applications,
with features and purposes similar to those of Adobe Flash.
. it's being replaced by html5 .

. the cool thing about it was
programming the browser with ironpython
-- or any other .net language --
instead of javascript .

6.10: why:

. the .NET system was designed for competing with java;
the cool idea at that time was mobile code;
but since internet security issues have gotten so thick,
the cool idea now is either minimizing code installs
by using web services with an html interface,
or controlling app quality
with something like Apple's App Store .

. now that html5 offers a multi-media experience,
the .NET and SilverLight plug-in's
are being discouraged as unnecessary installs .
. some apps may seem slow in a browser,
and those will need native code
that should be policed by an App Store .

. to replace .NET's multi-lang feature,
here's how your favorite languages
can be turned into javascript:
# for Python code:
. use Pyjamas, a port of Google Web Toolkit.
# for C, C++, Objective-C:
. use the Emscripten LLVM-to-JavaScript compiler
(eg, if your translator emits Objective-C,
then it can be converted to LLVM byte code,
which can finally be converted to JavaScript ).

. given the move away from mobile code,
Microsoft has evolved from .NET
and its new language C#,
back to a popular language, C++
with Component Extensions, C++/CX .
. its syntax borrows from C++/CLI
but targets native instead of managed code.
. Apple went through such a phase also
when it dropped their new lang, Dylan,
for the popular lang, C,
with oop extensions, Objective-C .
. the .NET developer framework was part of
WPF (Win' Presentation Foundation),
and Silverlight was a .NET-powered flash competitor;
the new platform using c++/CX
is called WinRT (Win' Run Time).

6.10: web:
mtiede@swtechnologies.com 2012 Apr 12,

Many large businesses don't like
new versions of stuff and plug-ins breaking apps.
So they don't allow it.  Period.
Even a browser plug-in.
So if you are doing LOB[line-of-business] apps,
having the plug-in ALREADY installed
is a HUGE plus.
Without that, the customer may not be able to
use your app at all.
We already had a customer that we wanted to
move from SL[SilverLight] 3 to SL 4.
They said that it would be about two years
before they could do another round of tests
to verify that SL 4 wasn't going to break any existing apps.
TWO YEARS.
And if you have an app that requires some new feature,
that customer isn't going to be able to run it.
We are keeping an OLD environment
just to make changes to the code for this customer.

Sinae Apr 12, 2012 09:56

I really don't understand why .net and silverlight
has never been added to the core of windows 7.

[... increased web-based attack surface .]