Looking for the right language

Ye' old general discussion board. Basically, for everything that isn't covered elsewhere. Come here to shoot the breeze, shoot your mouth off, or whatever suits your fancy.
This forum is not for asking programming related questions.

Moderator: General Moderators

Post Reply
rudi feijo
Forum Newbie
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2006 1:00 pm

Looking for the right language

Post by rudi feijo »

Hello

Im currently developing a web-based business wich will provide media content for plasma tv's. Basically, a wide selection of images and video files, to be played acording to the clients preferences.

After developing most of it in a VB software format, my boss told me that he now wants the client to be 100% free of any extra instalation - as long as he have windows installed, he should be able to use our system.

So I began developing it in flash and actionscript wich is perfect for the purpouse, and a few weeks later, my boss told me he wants to be 100% free of flash and actionscript. It is his view that something made in flash "looks easy and cheap".

But Im not here (only) to complain about him. I am still persistant on trying to make him see that using simple, well crafted external software is totally acceptable.


Regardless, for the sake of winning the argument maybe, Im going thro several different opinions. None of wich, unfourtunately, can overcome the fact that no matter how advance the programming language is, it will always deliver something limited by the web browsers capabilities.

So maybe I *can* do all the stuff I want without using anything but the browser's resources (except flash).



The client side web page that will serve as the media files player must consist of:

-an image viewer:
-the image must be fully loaded before it appears on the screen

-a video files player:
-the video must be fully loaded before it appears on the screen
-streaming is not an option to me (the clients internet connection will probably be shared)
-if the video is not fully loaded, it continues loading, its saved on a temp directory, and played only when its called up
again on the playlist
-if the video is not fully loaded, the player web page will move on to the next media file on the playlist

-shockwave files will only be played if theres no actionscript on them
-(i know it sounds a little bit insane)

-the player web page must keep pre-loading all media files listed on the playlist while its being executed

-the media files must be saved on any path on the local machine, and if the media files already exists on this path, it
will be called up directly from the hard drive (saves us bandwidth and makes playing video files smooth/possible).

-no blank pages between playlist itens, no things like "windows media player" logos, a 100% fullscreen environment with no
borders of any kind.


All in all, it will look like a powerpoint presentation for any kind of media files - its all these details i listed that matters and
concerns me.

I still have faith that he will listen to the voice of reason and let me create a client software to handle all this in the way
it should be done. but untill then, id like to gather up any kind of feedback and advice.

Thanks for your time
User avatar
feyd
Neighborhood Spidermoddy
Posts: 31559
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2004 3:24 pm
Location: Bothell, Washington, USA

Post by feyd »

So if VB and Flash are out, I'll guess ActiveX and Java are out too. That would limit you to using "old" (version) video files (since upgrading Media Player sounds out of the question) too.

The feature list you're trying to hit would put it into the custom application level. I'd push toward C before VB due to better run speed and often smaller footprint.
rudi feijo
Forum Newbie
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2006 1:00 pm

Post by rudi feijo »

thanks for your reply feyd
The feature list you're trying to hit would put it into the custom application level.
This is a *very* reduced feature list wich represents the absolute minimum my boss wants for the project. The original features is of a greater range then that and it did frustrate me a lot since i had all of that already working on the software.

Im actually very relieved to hear that from you, and i guess you dont mind me quoting you on that to my boss :p.

Should i pass on the idea of continue to develop a client software tho, Ill have to stick with VB. Learning curve is a very big issue to me
since im a self (internet) taught programmer - I didnt knew what a variable was untill january.
User avatar
infolock
DevNet Resident
Posts: 1708
Joined: Wed Sep 25, 2002 7:47 pm

Post by infolock »

personally, i would choose C# for what you need
rudi feijo
Forum Newbie
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2006 1:00 pm

Post by rudi feijo »

infolock wrote:personally, i would choose C# for what you need
Could I achieve all those features without any kind of extra instalation?
timvw
DevNet Master
Posts: 4897
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2004 11:11 pm
Location: Leuven, Belgium

Post by timvw »

I didn't know the .net runtime (clr) was installed by default on windows machines.. (Meaby since XP SP2.. Not very sure about that...)

Basically, ask your boss what he doesn't consider as cheap :p Doesn't flash have a standalone player too? Perhaps if you write your own non-cheap 'wrapper window' to load this flash-player...
rudi feijo
Forum Newbie
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2006 1:00 pm

Post by rudi feijo »

timvw wrote:I didn't know the .net runtime (clr) was installed by default on windows machines.. (Meaby since XP SP2.. Not very sure about that...)

Basically, ask your boss what he doesn't consider as cheap :p Doesn't flash have a standalone player too? Perhaps if you write your own non-cheap 'wrapper window' to load this flash-player...
well, he likes the idea of doing it all in Java.
Wich boogles me since we'd have to install java virtual machine anyway.
And im terribly under qualified to pick up and learn java from the start.

Except from flash, I dont think there is anything that will meet my demands that doesnt involve instaling anything.
timvw
DevNet Master
Posts: 4897
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2004 11:11 pm
Location: Leuven, Belgium

Post by timvw »

If your boss insists to go the java-way... Here's a shortcut for you ;)
http://java.sun.com/products/java-media/jmf/
http://java.sun.com/products/java-media ... rmats.html
rudi feijo
Forum Newbie
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2006 1:00 pm

Post by rudi feijo »

timvw wrote:If your boss insists to go the java-way... Here's a shortcut for you ;)
http://java.sun.com/products/java-media/jmf/
http://java.sun.com/products/java-media ... rmats.html
Thanks, that may be very usefull to me, especially if this whole project im on right now doesnt work out :p
It seems that java developers get paid very well here in Brazil. I might as well try learning Java if I find myself
unenployed again. :p

My boss told me to completly forget about video files for now, so all the content Ill work is images and some swfs.
Its going to be so light and simplified at this point that I will probably just recurr to php alone, untill he wants to
improve the system.
Post Reply