Local MVC pages?



  • One of the things I'm specing out as part of my prototype is allowing users to run local instances of my application for offline use, or allowing for additional things to be run that I will disallow on the server unless they pay. (They can use their own resources if they aren't willing to pay for my service - my service still gets the benefit of data, but they get customization options through selected modules)

    I came across this article which indicates you can deploy IIS Express and start it locally as long as .net framework 4 is installed (already a pre-req for installing my stand alone software)

    Has anybody tried something like this? Is this even a good idea? Is there a better way to allow for local web page display than this? I want to minimize custom code between the local client and the server, and I want to offer similar features between both platforms (since I can save most data locally as well as sync to my service)

    Deploying IIS Express for local display seems like it would be a great way to accomplish this - and since I'm deploying items as modules, they would have to opt in for the offline mode (which would cover them installing IIS Express for local usage)

    Thoughts, opinions, relevant flaming of stupid idea?


  • Grade A Premium Asshole

    What MVC are you planning on using? You have quite the challenge ahead of you. In just a few moments I can think of several huge hurdles.

    Not that it can't be done. It will just be very difficult to make it easy to install and keep many disparate databases synced with your database.



  • MVC 4, mainly a local IIS install that has a defined database structure that feeds data asynchronously to my site for aggregations and analytics. Each user maintains their own data (broadcasters have their own specific channel, individual users can bring in data that they bear witness to without me having to go and spend additional server resources to bring in - or use them as indicators of users I should be monitoring for services)

    This would allow them to personalize their experience without limits I would have to impose on them (pay for this service so i can buy a proxy, or have restricted chat rate/moderation etc due to twitch.tv's rate limiting)

    Mainly it's a question of 'Is deploying IIS Express an extreme burden in terms of installation / processing power, or is it reasonably lightweight if the .net framework is already installed?'

    Honestly, I might be able to get away with just something like jquery+html+sqlite, but that has a host of potential issues related to error handling that I can resolve much easier by having local mvc option. I'm just concerned with the weight of the install, plus potential ramifications from installing a web server on the client machines. I just can't justify that to myself when all I really want is 'pretty' forms in my application for display.

    In other words, it has a bad smell and I feel like I'm significantly looking at the wrong path.



  • Microsoft seems to be willing to revamp ASP.NET a little with VS2014, and one of the features is - supposedly - publishing a website to the file system.

    I'm not sure if it's in CTPs already.



  • That looks amazing. I shall now immediately go investigate.

    Reading more.

    No really, this actually looks really fucking amazing. I can't wait to try it out. Professional 14 CTP2 is installing right now.


  • :belt_onion:

    @Matches said:

    No really, this actually looks really fucking amazing. I can't wait to try it out. Professional 14 CTP2 is installing right now.

    Hopefully this part was read BEFORE the install started 👺

    Note, Visual Studio side by side support is not available on this early build. Do not install this CTP on a machine with any other version of Visual Studio installed.


  • Yes, I saw that - if it's incompatible that's not a big deal - The prototype isn't in production yet so changes to the developer tools are still fine.



  • @Matches said:

    Professional 14 CTP is installing right now.

    You did read the disclaimer?

    "Note, Visual Studio side by side support is not available on this early build. Do not install this CTP on a machine with any other version of Visual Studio installed."

    Aside form that, yeah. As far as Visual Studio, .NET and SQL Server Management Studio is concerned, Microsoft is actually Doing It Right.

    Between this, integrating half of Resharper (finally!), and ditching the rusty C# compiler for Roslyn, it can turn out pretty damn amazing.



  • I'm doing a side by side install just because I like to see what breaks, but the machine i'm installing it on doesn't have anything that would be dearly missed if it were to melt down and I had to do a reformat. All files are backed up.

    Will report back if fires ensue or if the dire warnings are exaggerated.



  • MVC, Web API, and Web Pages will be merged into one framework, called MVC 6. MVC 6 has no dependency on System.Web.
    ASP.NET vNext includes new cloud-optimized versions of MVC 6, SignalR 3, and Entity Framework 7.
    ASP.NET vNext will support true side-by-side deployment for all dependencies, including .NET for cloud. Nothing will be in the GAC.
    ASP.NET vNext is host agnostic. You can host your app in IIS, or self-host in a custom process.
    Dependency injection is built into the framework.
    Web Forms, MVC 5, Web API 2, Web Pages 3, SignalR 2, EF 6 will be fully supported on ASP.NET vNext
    .NET vNext (Cloud Optimized) will be a subset of the .NET vNext Framework, optimized for cloud and server workloads.
    MVC 6, SignalR 3, EF 7 will have some breaking changes:
    New project system
    New configuration system
    MVC / Web API / Web Pages merge, using a common set of abstractions for HTTP, routing, action selection, filters, model binding, and so on
    No System.Web, new lightweight HttpContext

    And the most important feature:
    ALL CAPS. Last week with the RC for Visual Studio 2013 Update 3 we added an option to sentence case menus; in this VS “14” CTP we changed Menu Bar styling to Title Case for everyone to help us get feedback on the change. We’ll use the feedback we get to help determine if we keep it as it is in this preview, make it an option under the Tools/Options menu, or take some other path.

    I have like 8 kinds of hard on for vNext already. I just hope my instant hype is not disappoint.



  • VS 14 is now installed, appears to have opened correctly, VS 2013 pro trial also appears to still work.

    A little disappointed by the lack of fire and brimstone, but still.

    I'm trying to wrap my head around what a vNext console app would represent though. That's a little odd.



  • Before you get too deep, I should just point out you can also self-host MVC4 app within your own application.

    Seems a bit more complicated than what they are promising with vNext, but it's possible.



  • Will look into it tonight after work, but I don't know man, my hard on is pretty big right now for vs 14. I think they might have a serious winner.



  • Coloured icons? Menus that aren't all in capitals?



  • Confirmed. Color makes a comeback. (Photo thief'd from random webpage, user obviously missed memo about caps being an option)

    http://blogs.msdn.com/b/webdev/archive/2014/06/03/announcing-web-features-in-visual-studio-14-ctp.aspx?PageIndex=3



  • This is normal VS 13. You have three themes (blue, gray and black). Also, what's the big deal with UPPERCASE titles? I actually like that style. And even if I didn't, is it really such a big deal?



  • Yes. It is.

    On an unrelated note, it looks like if your proxy selectively blocks certain pieces of the microsoft install (IE: NuGet package manager) it will completely screw your VS 14 install, and you can't compile even basic winform apps.

    Not sure if it's because of missing pieces from the original download, or VS 14 requires an always on connection that reaches NuGet sources. Testing required tonight. I suspect it's related to the 'auto restore' functionality for nuget packages.



  • @Matches said:

    Not sure if it's because of missing pieces from the original download, or VS 14 requires an always on connection that reaches NuGet sources

    Weren't they kind of aiming to put the whole .NET on NuGet? Anyway, it seems like VS is going to be heavily integrated with it.

    My biggest hard-ons are the fact that they aim to pretty much integrate ReSharper into base VS, the whole Roslyn thing which opens up some pretty interesting hooks to the compiler, and not having to rebuild the whole ASP.NET app if you change one line of code.



  • Yeah - It's interesting though, I think nuget manager itself (nuget.org) is allowed at my work, but I think one of the installation paths was blocked for (whatever) reason (probably an over-eager auto rule) and I think it broke my installation. Going to try a repair and see if that sorts the issue.



  • Well congratulations, now you got me jonesing for some C# stuff as well.

    Is it strange that I'm playing around with all the trendy hipster stuff at work (node.js, NoSQL, ember.js), but when I get home, I read about java and play around in .NET? It's usually the other way around...



  • mission accomplished!



  • @cartman82 said:

    Is it strange that

    @cartman82 said:

    when I get home, I read about java and play around in .NET?

    A little. It's like having a supermodel in bed and reading erotica about fat, ugly women.

    But it's none of my business what you're doing at home, so there.



  • @cartman82 said:

    Is it strange that I'm playing around with all the trendy hipster stuff at work (node.js, NoSQL, ember.js), but when I get home, I read about java and play around in .NET? It's usually the other way around...

    You mean you work with undocumented, impossible-to-debug, broken bullshit all day and then you want to go home to work with a mature, working, effective toolset?

    Shocker.



  • Yeah, but usually it's OLD undocumented, impossible to debug, broken bullshit.



  • @Maciejasjmj said:

    It's like having a ditzy, frigid, hostile supermodel in bed and reading erotica about fat, ugly, but loving, intelligent and skillful women.
     



  • @HardwareGeek said:

    It's like having a ditzy, frigid, hostile supermodel in bed and reading erotica about fat, ugly, but loving, intelligent and skillful women.

    Agreed in terms of women, disagreed in terms of programming environments.



  • So, like being married to a blonde supermodel and wishing you could marry a lovely dwarfess instead?



  • Is her name Urist?


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