Do I have to install silverlight in order to use ArcGIS.com?

[DayTen]

I am new to both GIS and ArcGIS.com.

[JMcNeil]

Like the silverlight plug-in?  If you do you should be prompted to install.  If arcgis.com is using silverlight you won't see some of it content and it will prompted you to install silverlight......very similar to flex or adobe flash when you visit a sight that uses that stuff.

I think arcgis.com might be JavaScript, which requires no silverlight or flex plug/download.

[DayTen]

I do not have right to install any plug-in by myself. If that is essential, then I would have to go for formal approval. However, I would prefer not to bother administrator.

Please let me know if it is essential. Thanks.

[JMcNeil]

To use ArcGIS.com, I don't think you do need Silverlight but I'm not 100% sure because I've always had Silverlight installed.  Have you visited ArcGIS.com?  If you can go there and navigate around and you don't see a prompted to install anything then you are solid.  I would give it a try.  What part of the site are you trying to take advantage of?  Like I said I looked quickly at it and it looks like JS/DOJO which doesn't require any plug-ins.  Give it shot.

[DayTen]

I will use ArcGIS.com to generate basemap for my web application. I would prefer to use JavaScript. However, when I try to look at others maps, I found every map requests me to install Silverlight plug-in. I thus got the sense whole ArcGIS.com was built on Silverlight. According to what you said, it is not the case. I am still able to create my base map in JS.

[JMcNeil]

if it is prompting you for Silverlight then you need the plugin.  If you are going into the gallery to view maps,web maps, and mobile apps that people have built and are sharing then yes if they used silverlight or flex to develop them you will need the plug-in to view them and play with them. 

Now if you want to build your own map .....CLICK ON the MAP Button.  Then I don't think you need silverlight because I believe that is built in JS but if it is prompting you for Silverlight plug in then I am wrong and you need to ask the man to install it.

If you want to develop apps with JavaScript you want to go to hang out at these sites

http://help.arcgis.com/en/webapi/javascript/arcgis/

http://forums.arcgis.com/forums/15-ArcGIS-API-for-JavaScript

[EricPaitz]

As far as I understand it all of the www.arcgis.com content uses the Java Script API for the Map Viewer. Now last week I did a search for something, I cant remember exactly what, and one of the links was to a silverlight application and it wanted to install the plug-in. I am not allowed to install that plug-in at my client site so I was unable to view the app/data. It all comes down to exactly what you are clicking on to view. As far as I know if you try and use www.arcgis.com to view/overlay data in the Map Viewer it will use the Java Script API and call the Map Service for data. All of that does not require the Silverlight plug-in or any plug-in. If you try and view external content (I think an external application hosted by a 3rd party) then its up to the publisher and how they created the application.

[DayTen]

This may not be very accurate. I randomly tried about 10 times to look at gallery and maps, all of them require Silverlight plug-in.

As far as I understand it all of the www.arcgis.com content uses the Java Script API for the Map Viewer. Now last week I did a search for something, I cant remember exactly what, and one of the links was to a silverlight application and it wanted to install the plug-in. I am not allowed to install that plug-in at my client site so I was unable to view the app/data. It all comes down to exactly what you are clicking on to view. As far as I know if you try and use www.arcgis.com to view/overlay data in the Map Viewer it will use the Java Script API and call the Map Service for data. All of that does not require the Silverlight plug-in or any plug-in. If you try and view external content (I think an external application hosted by a 3rd party) then its up to the publisher and how they created the application.

[DayTen]

Thank you so much guys. I got the picture.

[dotMorten_esri]

http://www.arcgis.com  does not require Silverlight.
However ArcGIS Explorer at http://explorer.arcgis.com does.
You might find some links on ArcGIS.com that links to explorer.