5

Question: I created an ASP.NET web application.

Now it originally was meant for deployment on a webserver.
That is working, so, so far so good.

My question now is: Is it possible to deploy it as a desktop-application, too?

That is to say the installer installs some kind of server, plus the web application, configures the server to run this application on a localhost URL, and then creates a link in the start menu/desktop, where it opens that url (website, the application) on localhost in a web browser?

I think it should be possible, though the server wouldn't be IIS, because this is a windows component which can't be separately installed.

Is there anything like this already out there ? The nonplusultra would be that it only starts the server when you click on the shortcut.

Stefan Steiger
  • 78,642
  • 66
  • 377
  • 442

4 Answers4

4

I'm not sure, but you could use IIS express, when it will be released. Take a look to ScottGu's post Introducing IIS Express.

hemme
  • 1,654
  • 1
  • 15
  • 22
  • IIS-express sounds like it could be what I search, but besides the silly name, it's still vapoware, and I need a solution NOW. – Stefan Steiger Jul 08 '10 at 08:38
  • It looks quite solidware to me... download Microsoft’s Web Platform Installer and take a look here: http://www.asp.net/webmatrix/tutorials/1-getting-started-with-webmatrix-and-asp-net-web-pages – hemme Jul 09 '10 at 15:09
  • OK, sorry, I take back the vapoware. My fault. Though it is interesting to note that aspnetserve is a solution that works on Linux/Unix, too, plus it's fully integrateable/customizable. IIS-Express might be more feature-complete, though. – Stefan Steiger Jul 12 '10 at 08:07
2

I almost went for Cassini.
But in the meantime, I found something better:

http://code.google.com/p/aspnetserve/

My mistake was searching for 'asp.net deployment server component' instead of 'asp.net embedded webserver'.

A really cool project.
Seems to work, at least for my needs.

Edit:
A much better choice is xsp4 from package xsp-2.10.2, courtesy of the mono-project.
http://download.mono-project.com/sources/xsp/
Works on both Linux and Windows, as well as Mac, with both mono and .NET framework, and that without GAC installation (in fact, without any installation).

The latest source is here:
https://github.com/mono/xsp/tree/master/src

Stefan Steiger
  • 78,642
  • 66
  • 377
  • 442
1

You can use an easily installable ASP.Net webserver such as UltiDev Cassini.

SLaks
  • 868,454
  • 176
  • 1,908
  • 1,964
-2

I think what you are looking for is something like Adobe Air: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_Integrated_Runtime

However you want to be able to run ASP.NET, which Adobe Air does not. My suggestion is to use Silverlight

Icemanind
  • 47,519
  • 50
  • 171
  • 296