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Microsoft Silverlight: Light up the web

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Microsoft Silverlight is a web presentation technology which provides capabilities to deliver high quality videos, rich interactive applications for the web using .NET, across browsers including Firefox, Safari and Internet Explorer and platforms such as Windows and Mac OS. In consistent with .NET Framework 3.0's presentation technology - Windows Presentation Framework (WPF), silverlight uses eXtensible Application Markup Language (XAML) for presentation. Check out the getting started video.

In Silverlight model, graphic designer can design the rich content and user experiences such as animations in XAML format. This XAML can then be incorporated into a web page using Silverlight runtime. Thus, two can work together to overcome the limitations of the past for providing a rich-client like use experience to the end users over the web.

XAML is a text based language (an extension of XML language) which overcomes the limitations of ActiveX, Applets, and Flash which deliver binary content to the browsers. This was not only difficult to maintain but also posed security threats to the end users. Silverlight consists of a browser plugin which is a small download (about 2 MB) that can be installed when user is visiting a site that contains silverlight content. Also this module (plugin) exposes the underlying of the XAML page to JavaScript developers so interaction with the page becomes much easier. Developers can modify the page content, write event handlers using JS to provide better user experience.

To start developing the Silverlight applications, you can utilize following developer tools:

  • Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 (SP1)
  • Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Beta 2
  • Microsoft Silverlight Alpha Tools for Visual Studio 2008 Beta
  • Microsoft ASP.NET Futures (July 2007)
  • Internet Explorer Developer Toolbar

Designer tools:

  • Microsoft Expression Studio (Expression Web, Design, Blend and Media versions)
  • Microsoft Movie Maker 

Software Development Kits:

  • Microsoft Silverlight 1.0 Software Development Kit
  • Microsoft Silverlight 1.1 Software Development Kit Alpha September Refresh

While Silverlight 1.0 only has support for Javascript, 1.1 introduces the support for .NET languages (Visual Basic, Visual C#, IronRuby, Ironpython etc). Silverlight Runtimes 1.0 and 1.1 provide different set of features - Feature Matrix

Both Silverlight 1.0 and 1.1 are available for free download.

Have a look at some stunning silverlight applications at:

https://home.uvntv.com/tv/

https://www.whirlything.com/

https://www.tafiti.com/

AOL Social Gadgets

Silverlight aims to compete with Adobe Flash and the presentation components of Ajax. It also competes with Sun Microsystems' JavaFX, which was launched a few days after Silverlight.

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