Coming from a desktop application background using VB6, I have shifted to web programming due to the realities in today's software market.  The web is they way to go, no doubt.  So I've learned asp.net, how to use a lot of the cool new stuff in VS 2005. like the membership class, SQL Server Express, and AJAX, to name a few.

 So I'm on my way to creating rich Internet apps, and although I've seen it around, ignoring Silverlight, until now.

 So SL2 looks really nice, but how is this intended to fit in with all this other technology?  Like Flash, Silverlight moves the processing to the client, the opposite of what asp (active SERVER pages) does.  And I'm OK with that - desktop PCs as far too powerful to be just dumb clients.

But how is this all supposed to work - from a site design standpoint.  Assuming a non-trivial web application, like say a Bank website that lets users do all the normal stuff to their bank account.  A site like this will have at least a dozen or so pages.  Should the start/login page be standard asp and then child pages each host the silverlight 'player'?  Should the whole site be a single silverlight page with server calls (reminiscent of AJAX) to grab new content?

 I understand that design decisions like this will be dictated by what is being built, the sites purpose, size, speed, audience, all that, but I'm interested in what are the thoughts on how this client-centric programming model best be put to use.

I feel like I've just gotten the grasp of server-side programming (having to unlearn my desktop client-side ways) and now dabbling with Silverlight I have to remind myself that this is client side processing.

So I suppose my question is: Is silverlight site design intended to be 'pure' silverlight, making calls to back-end web-services, a mix of mostly silverlight with some asp.net, or a more traditional asp.net site with little Silverlight 'enhancements' scattered though it?

I realize this is a general and open-ended question - maybe there are some white papers or other resources that answer some of these.

Thanks, (pardon the rambling )

kpg 

My personal opinion is that Silverlight is best used to augment pages, not replace them. There are things that rich client-side development can do much better than server-based solutions, but that is not true for most of web development. For example, a page where you have your standard master-page scenario, I'd leave it as ASP.NET (really HTML), but if you have a need for something that is hard in HTML (e.g. Charts, server communication, etc.), Silverlight can fill that niche.  If you've been around for more than 10 years, you know what happened when people tried to replace whole sites with Flash back in the day.  Hopefully SL guys won't make that same mistake.  Silverlight sits in the DOM, not replaces it...or should I say that XAML can extend the capabilities of HTML, not replace it.  Therefore, use it as an added tool in your toolbox.

(If this has answered your question, please "Mark as Answer")

Shawn Wildermuth
C# MVP, MCSD, Speaker and Author

Silverlight 2 Workshop
May 12-14, 2008 - Atlanta, GA
May 28-30, 2008 - San Francisco, CA
http://www.silverlight-tour.com

Hi,

just wanted to comment on this. I'm working researching Silverlight so see if its an effective replacement for our currently bland web based product.

Its interesting because up until now, Ive been looking at Silverlight replacing 100% of the page, unlike your suggesting of mixing pre-existing html/asp with silverlight objects. For example, right now we have an account details page, a kind of master/details looking page. The details is infact non edittable datagrid. Using your idea, rather than replacing the whole page, Id just swap the non edittable asp grid with a silverlight grid. (Sounds great but how on earth would i get the data to and from the silverlight grid? when loading, and after user changes)

So you'd recommend this as a definite feasible approach? Avoid a complete redesign, and instead merge silverlight components into existing asp pages to enhance? 

I've been doing all of the tutorials and haven't seen one that shows how to mix SilverLight and ASP technology in an aspx page or MasterPage. It is great to learn that I can mix SilverLight and ASP together and just get going with this thing. However, I am having a little trouble getting over the hump of using SilverLight technology in an ASP Web Application. Can someone point me to a tutorial with code samples to get me over this hump. Thanks ........