XBAP - Windows Presentation Foundation XAML Browser Applications

XBAP - Windows Presentation Foundation XAML Browser Applications

XBAP – XAML Browser Application is a new windows technology used for creating Rich Internet Applications. It is used for creating heavyweight .Net applications.

XAML Browser Applications combines features of both Web applications and rich-client applications. While windows applications are normally compiled to an .exe file, browser applications are compiled to an extension .xbap and can be run inside Internet Explorer.

Like Web applications, XBAPs can be published to a Web server and launched from Internet Explorer. Like rich-client applications, XBAPs can take advantage of the capabilities of WPF. Developing XBAPs is also similar to rich-client development.

Implementing a XAML Browser Application (XBAP)

The simplest way to create a new XBAP project is with Microsoft Visual Studio:

1. On the File menu, point to New, and then click Project.
2. In the New Project dialog box, in the Project types pane, choose either Visual Basic or Visual
C#. In the Templates pane, click WPF Browser Application.
3. Assign a project name and click OK to create the new project.

The WPF Browser Application project template creates an XBAP application project that includes the following:

• An application definition, Application.xaml.
• A page, Page1.xaml.

You can add to those as required.

If you prefer developing with tools that require command-line compilation.

When you run an XBAP, it is launched in a browser window instead of a standalone window. When you debug an XBAP from Visual Studio, the application runs with Internet zone permission and will consequently throw security exceptions if those permissions are exceeded.

Deploying a XAML Browser Application

When you build a XBAP, the Microsoft build engine (MSBuild) produces the following three files as a minimum:


• An executable file. This contains the compiled code and has an .exe extension.
• An application manifest. This contains metadata associated with the application and has a
.manifest extension.
• A deployment manifest. This file contains the information that ClickOnce uses to deploy the
application and has an .xbap extension.

You publish XBAPs to a Web server (Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) or later). You do not need to install .NET Framework on the Web server, but you do need to register the WPF Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) types and file extensions.

To prepare your XBAP for deployment, copy the .exe and the associated manifests to your Web server. Create a hyperlink on a Web page to navigate to the deployment manifest. When the user clicks the link and navigates to the .xbap file, ClickOnce automatically handles the mechanics of downloading and launching the application.

Reference:

1. http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa970060.aspx
2. http://aspalliance.com/1824_Introduction_to_XAML_Browser_Applications_XBAP.1

...S.VinothkumaR.