Esri & WinRT XAML

[JoseSousa]

Hi,

Considering the future of XAML with Windows 8 and with Silverlight being a legacy product in the next years what is Esri direction and vision around this subject?

It is becoming difficult to justify why to adopt Silverlight and to execute projects with custom code built on top of the ArcGIS Builder for SL. Is Esri planning to have a builder for XAML? If so, what to expect around the architecture? Will it be easy to migrate current solutions? When will it come? What is the roadmap for the next 1-2 years regarding Esri and XAML?

Looking forward for your feedback,
José

[DeminHu]

Beacuse no Silverlight,no Flash for WinRT, I wonder  if ArcGIS Server Javascript ( html 5)API  will work on  METRO mode or not.

I am very curious at technology trend too.

[JoeHershman]

Metro Apps and the Windows 8 interface are going to be about as popular as New Coke when it is rolled out.  Microsoft does not grasp that the vast majority of people using their OS are sitting at a desktop and are primarily running Word and Excel, not on a touch screen device and windows 8 is a terrible mouse click user experience (in my opinion).

Microsoft will be back tracking (yet again) when Windows 8 is released because the CEO who has to approve the decsion to upgrade is still going to think XP is better.

The javascript API will work anywhere you can use html, so if you believe the hype about html 5 than make the jump (backwards) to javascript.

[JoseSousa]

It is expected that Tablets and Phones become the dominant force in 2013. The full Windows 8 sitting in Quadcore tablets can provide same functionality than desktops and probably be more useful in some cases. We can expeculate around what will happen though it is not what I am interested about. Unfortunately my work depends on what Esri plans are independently of what I believe it will happen or not.

Microsoft is providing WinJS API (Windows Javascript) to allow that HTML/Javascript developers adhere to the Metro style more easily. Though, that might eventually means that apps will be locked to the Windows ecosystem even if we use that JS/HTML. The use of standard Javascript libraries makes more sense to keep apps cross-browser and cross-platform though the functionality/style might not be as nice. Time will say how this evolves.

Again my main concern is that clients (especially architects) are quite reluctant in adhering to plugins at this moment especially because of Microsoft silent around this subject and especially because of the Web Plugin-free buzzword that we are constantly hearing about. I am very reluctant in building components on top of the ArcGIS Builder for Silverlight even though I know SL will run on the desktop mode of Win8. Though everyone knows at this moment that this is a legacy product.

My expectation is that Esri migrates the current ArcGIS SL Builder to XAML the fastest as possible with MINOR architecture changes as the differences exist but in most cases are subtle to allow us to continue our work. Personally I like XAML and the ArcGIS Builder for SL and I believe that that plugin architecture facilitates a lot our work. If Esri issued their commitment and full disclosure/vision/direction around this it would facilitate our strategy significantly.  

Regards,
José