Best method of creating desktop shortcuts in a web app?

Question

I'd like to have our ASP.NET web app create a desktop shortcut to our site on the user's (windows) desktop. With their permission of course. Like a button that they click and answer 'yes its ok', and then they get a link on the desktop or start menu that takes them to our site.

This may not seem like a great idea, and I could see how it could be annoying, but i have 2 great reasons for doing this. 1) Other people are doing it 2) Management wants it.

My question is, which technology would you guys recommend? I've heard this can be done via Java or Silverlight. Obviously our app is written in C#, but if it were much better/easier in Java we'd be willing to go that route.

So is one better for this task? And has anyone seen any examples?

EDIT: Ok, assuming I wanted to go the route of Trusted XBAP or Signed Applet, can any point me in the right direction? I have no Silverlight or Java experience, but I'm willing to learn if someone can point me at a good tutorial.

Answer 1

If I've understood correctly what you're trying to do then no, you can't get your webapp to create a shortcut on the user's desktop. A couple of ways round it might be;

• Host a batch file/script/installer on your site and try and get users to download it and run it locally.
• Get the users to install a browser plugin that can do this. You may have to create this browser plugin yourself.

Browsers generally try to prevent websites having access to the local system for security reasons.