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I just lost 5 hours looking for a answer which i haven't been able to find :p

First, I'd like to force a trusted application (i need to access the file system) to display into the browser. Based on what i found on google a trusted application must be installed and launched as a desktop application (also called out-of-browser application).

So, i want to have an installed application on the client side but meanwhile, the user must also be able to start this same application into a browser window when he goes on my web site. Is this possible ?

Second, I'd like to give to the user the possibility to start the application from the browser. To be clear, the application is installed on the client computer but i want a button on my web site which starts the desktop application. How can i do that ?

Thanks

Nicolas Guillaume
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  • "display into the browser" what does that mean? In fact neither question makes a whole lot of sense can you add more detail? – AnthonyWJones Mar 27 '10 at 22:02

2 Answers2

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The answers are sort of and no.

Yes you can run an application that has been installed on the client also in the browser. However, not all of the installed application features will be available. Anything that requires elevated trust will not work inside the browser.

No you can't launch the installed application programmatically from within code running in the browser. The best you can do is display a polite message to the user to the effect that they have this app already installed and in order to access all of its feature they will need to launch it.

AnthonyWJones
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  • Thanks. This is quite frustrating... Do you know if Microsoft have some projects in order to change that ? – Nicolas Guillaume Mar 28 '10 at 11:59
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    @Niklaos: I wouldn't hold your breath, these limitations aren't technical ones they are deliberate choices with a view to security. I think you need to sell them to your clients as such, they don't want their users being socially engineered by malicious usage of such features. The price they pay is a little inconvience that they launch your app as they would any other app rather than navigating to it on the web. – AnthonyWJones Mar 28 '10 at 13:09
  • @AnthonyWJones: Yes, i was just hoping that Microsoft was trying to make the thinnest possible separation between browser and desktop. Maybe they will give this kind of options in some months. Thanks for your expertise :) – Nicolas Guillaume Mar 28 '10 at 14:17
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    FYI Microsoft, at Mix2010, talked about a feature enabling these types of scenarios potentially being in Silverlight V.Next (beyond 4). – WiredPrairie Mar 28 '10 at 19:38
  • I think it was the Silverlight 4 OOB session during the Q&A. But, I was there physically, and may have just overheard it as well. :/ – WiredPrairie Mar 30 '10 at 15:38
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Yes, it is possbile since Silverlight 5, see my answer on silverlight-4-elevated-permission-inside-the-browser

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Maestro
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