.NET Framework Class Library for Silverlight

Microsoft Silverlight will reach end of support after October 2021. Learn more.

The .NET Framework class library consists of classes, interfaces, and value types that are included with the .NET Framework for Silverlight. The class library provides a reusable set of classes, components, controls, and user interface elements that can be incorporated into Silverlight-based applications.

In This Section

The .NET Framework for Silverlight class library provides the following namespaces, which are documented in detail in this reference.

• Microsoft.Xna.Framework
  Provides classes for using 3-D graphics.

• Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Audio
  Provides classes for using audio sound effects.

• Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Graphics
  Provides classes for composing and rendering 3-D graphics.

• Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Graphics.PackedVector
  Represents data types with components that are not multiples of 8 bits.

• Microsoft.CSharp.RuntimeBinder
  Contains types that support interoperation between the dynamic language runtime (DLR) and C#.

• Microsoft.Internal
  Supports the .NET Framework for Silverlight infrastructure. This namespace is not intended to be used directly from your code.

• Microsoft.Internal.Pivot.Controls
  Supports the System.Windows.Controls.Pivot infrastructure. This namespace is not intended to be used directly from your code.

• Microsoft.Internal.Pivot.Interactivity
  Supports the System.Windows.Controls.Pivot infrastructure. This namespace is not intended to be used directly from your code.

• Microsoft.Internal.Pivot.Utilities
  Supports the System.Windows.Controls.Pivot infrastructure. This namespace is not intended to be used directly from your code.

• Microsoft.Internal.Pivot.Views
  Supports the System.Windows.Controls.Pivot infrastructure. This namespace is not intended to be used directly from your code.

• Microsoft.Phone.Data.Linq
  Contains classes that support interaction with a local database in Windows Phone applications.

• Microsoft.Phone.Data.Linq.Mapping
  Contains classes that are used to define and generate a local database that represents a data context in a Windows Phone application.

• Microsoft.VisualBasic
  Contains classes that support the Visual Basic runtime in Visual Basic.

• Microsoft.VisualBasic.CompilerServices
  Contains internal-use only types that support the Visual Basic compiler.

• Microsoft.Win32.SafeHandles
  Contains classes that are abstract derivations of safe handle classes that provide common functionality supporting file and operating system handles.

• System
  Contains fundamental classes and base classes that define commonly used value and reference data types, events and event handlers, interfaces, attributes, and processing exceptions. Other classes provide services that support data type conversion, method parameter manipulation, mathematics, remote and local program invocation, application environment management, and supervision of managed and unmanaged applications.

• System.CodeDom.Compiler
  Contains a class that identifies code that is generated by a tool.

• System.Collections
  Contains the BitArray class, interfaces that are implemented by various collection objects, and interfaces and a structure that let you extract, enumerate, and compare objects in collections.

• System.Collections.Generic
  Contains interfaces and classes that define generic collections.

• System.Collections.ObjectModel
  Contains classes that can be used as collections in the object model of a reusable library. Use these classes when properties or methods return collections.

• System.Collections.Specialized
  Contains specialized and strongly typed collections.

• System.ComponentModel
  Provides classes that are used to implement the run-time and design-time behavior of components and controls.

• System.ComponentModel.Composition
  Provides classes that constitute the core of the Managed Extensibility Framework (MEF).

• System.ComponentModel.Composition.Hosting
  Provides classes for MEF that are useful to developers of extensible applications, or hosts.

• System.ComponentModel.Composition.Primitives
  Provides the primitive types underlying the MEF programming model.

• System.ComponentModel.Composition.ReflectionModel
  Provides types for MEF that are useful to developers who use a reflection-based programming model.

• System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations
  Provides attribute classes that are used to define metadata for entity classes.

• System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations.Schema
  Contains attributes that are used to provide additional information about classes and properties. These attributes are consumed by Code First when discovering a conceptual model.

• System.Configuration.Assemblies
  Contains classes that are used to configure an assembly.

• System.Data.Linq
  Contains classes that support interaction with a local database in Windows Phone applications.

• System.Data.Linq.Mapping
  Contains classes that are used to define and generate a local database that represents a data context in a Windows Phone application.

• System.Data.Linq.SqlClient
  Contains classes that contain query helper methods.

• System.Data.Services.Client
  Represents the classes and members that applications can use to interact with WCF Data Services.

• System.Data.Services.Common
  Contains a class that indicates the key property or properties of an entity.

• System.Diagnostics
  Provides classes that enable you to debug your applications and to trace the execution of your code.

• System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis
  Contains classes for interaction with tools that analyze code for conformance to coding conventions such as naming or security rules.

• System.Diagnostics.Contracts
  Contains static classes for representing program contracts such as preconditions, postconditions, and invariants.

• System.Diagnostics.Contracts.Internal
  Provides classes that the binary rewriter can use to handle a contract failure.

• System.Diagnostics.SymbolStore
  Provides an interface that gives you access to debug symbol information, such as source-line-to-MSIL (Microsoft intermediate language) maps. Compilers that target the .NET Framework for Silverlight can store the debug symbol information into programmer's database (PDB) files. Debuggers and code profiler tools can read the debug symbol information at run time.

• System.Dynamic
  Provides classes and interfaces that support the dynamic language runtime (DLR).

• System.Globalization
  Contains classes that define culture-related information, including the language, the country/region, the calendars in use, the format patterns for dates, currency, and numbers, and the sort order for strings. These classes are useful for writing globalized (internationalized) applications.

• System.IO
  Contains types that enable reading and writing to data streams.

• System.IO.IsolatedStorage
  Contains types for creating and using a virtual file system. Isolated storage provides safe client-side storage for partial trust applications. In Silverlight, all I/O operations are restricted to isolated storage and do not use the file system of the operating system.

• System.Json
  Provides standards-based support for the serialization of JavaScript Object Notation (JSON).

• System.Linq
  Contains classes and interfaces that support queries that use Language-Integrated Query (LINQ).

• System.Linq.Expressions
  Contains types that enable language-level code expressions to be represented as objects in the form of expression trees.

• System.Net
  Provides a simple programming interface for many of the protocols used on networks today. The WebRequest and WebResponse classes form the basis of pluggable protocols, which enable you to develop applications that use Internet resources without worrying about the specific details of the individual protocols.

• System.Net.Browser
  Contains classes that support network communication for Silverlight-based applications hosted inside and outside of a Web browser.

• System.Net.NetworkInformation
  Provides access to information on network availability and notification of address changes for the local computer.

• System.Net.Sockets
  Provides a managed implementation of the sockets networking interface for developers who need to tightly control access to the network. On Windows, this namespace provides a managed implementation of the Windows Sockets (Winsock) interface. On Apple Macintosh OS X, this namespace provides a managed implementation of the sockets interface based on Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) UNIX.

• System.Numerics
  Contains numeric types that complement the numeric primitives, such as Byte, Double, and Int32, that are defined by the .NET Framework.

• System.Reflection
  Contains types that retrieve information about assemblies, modules, members, parameters, and other entities in managed code by examining their metadata. These types also can be used to manipulate instances of loaded types, for example, to hook up events or to invoke methods.

• System.Reflection.Emit
  Contains classes that enable a compiler or tool to emit metadata and Microsoft intermediate language (MSIL) and optionally to generate a PE file on disk. The primary clients of these classes are script engines and compilers.

• System.Resources
  Provides classes and interfaces that enable developers to create, store, and manage various culture-specific resources used in an application.

• System.Runtime.CompilerServices
  Provides functionality for compiler writers who use managed code to specify attributes in metadata that affect the run-time behavior of the common language runtime.

• System.Runtime.ConstrainedExecution
  Defines a type that ensures that finalization code is marked as critical. The type is intended for use in constrained execution regions (CERs).

• System.Runtime.ExceptionServices
  Provides classes for advanced exception handling.

• System.Runtime.InteropServices
  Provides a wide variety of members that support COM interop and platform invoke services.

• System.Runtime.InteropServices.Automation
  Provides classes that enable Silverlight-based applications to interoperate with Automation APIs.

• System.Runtime.Serialization
  Contains classes that can be used for serializing and deserializing objects. Serialization is the process of converting an object or a graph of objects into a linear sequence of bytes for either storage or transmission to another location. Deserialization is the process of taking in stored information and recreating objects from it.

• System.Runtime.Serialization.Json
  Contains types for serializing objects to JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) and deserializing objects from JSON.

• System.Runtime.Versioning
  Contains advanced types that support versioning in side-by-side implementations of the .NET Framework for Silverlight.

• System.Security
  Provides the underlying structure of the .NET Framework for Silverlight security system.

• System.Security.Cryptography
  Provides cryptographic services, including secure encoding and decoding of data, as well as many other operations, such as hashing, random number generation, and message authentication.

• System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates
  Contains the common language runtime implementation of the Authenticode X.509 v.3 certificate. This certificate is signed with a private key that uniquely and positively identifies the holder of the certificate.

• System.Security.Permissions
  Defines classes that control access to operations and resources based on policy. This namespace supports the .NET Framework for Silverlight infrastructure; none of its types are accessible to application code.

• System.Security.Principal
  Defines a principal object that represents the security context under which code is running.

• System.ServiceModel
  Contains the types necessary to build Silverlight-based client applications that can be used to access distributed applications.

• System.ServiceModel.Channels
  Contains the types required to construct and modify the messages used by clients to communicate with services, the types of channels used to exchange messages, the channel factories used to construct those channels, and the binding elements used to configure them.

• System.ServiceModel.Description
  Contains the types required to construct and modify descriptions of services, contracts, and endpoints that are used to build service runtimes and to export metadata.

• System.ServiceModel.Dispatcher
  Contains the types necessary to modify the run-time execution behavior of client applications.

• System.ServiceModel.Security
  Contains classes that deal with general Silverlight security-related topics.

• System.ServiceModel.Syndication
  Contains the types that make up the Silverlight syndication object model.

• System.ServiceModel.Web
  Contains classes that make up the Web Http Programming Model.

• System.Text
  Contains classes that represent Unicode and UTF-8 character encodings; abstract base classes for converting blocks of characters to and from blocks of bytes; and a helper class that manipulates and formats String objects without creating intermediate instances of String.

• System.Text.RegularExpressions
  Contains classes that provide access to the .NET Framework regular expression engine. The namespace provides regular expression functionality that can be used from any platform or language that runs within the .NET Framework.

• System.Threading
  Provides classes and interfaces that enable multithreaded programming.

• System.Threading.Tasks
  Provides types that simplify the work of writing concurrent and asynchronous code.

• System.Windows
  Provides general framework presentation classes for the Silverlight client, as well as many Silverlight base classes for presentation features. These classes are often analogous to classes that exist in the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF).

• System.Windows.Automation
  Contains classes that provide support for Silverlight UI Automation clients.

• System.Windows.Automation.Peers
  Defines the AutomationPeer base class and a set of types that derive from it and that correspond to Silverlight controls. Each AutomationPeer exposes the corresponding Silverlight control to UI Automation.

• System.Windows.Automation.Provider
  Contains interfaces for creating UI Automation providers.

• System.Windows.Automation.Text
  Contains types that specify text formatting and related behavior for Silverlight UI Automation.

• System.Windows.Browser
  Contains classes that enable the interaction between managed code and JavaScript in Silverlight-based applications. This functionality is referred to as the HTML Bridge feature.

• System.Windows.Controls
  Contains classes to create controls that enable a user to interact with an application.

• System.Windows.Controls.Pivot
  Provides classes to create the PivotViewer control and its supporting elements.

• System.Windows.Controls.Primitives
  Contains base classes and controls that are intended to be used as part of other, more complex controls.

• System.Windows.Data
  Contains classes used for binding properties to data sources.

• System.Windows.Data.Debugging
  Contains classes that support data binding debugging.

• System.Windows.Documents
  Contains classes that support basic document concepts in Silverlight.

• System.Windows.Graphics
  Provides Silverlight specific classes to support the core XNA framework in Silverlight.

• System.Windows.Ink
  Provides classes to interact with and manipulate ink in Silverlight.

• System.Windows.Input
  Contains classes that support input in a Silverlight-based application.

• System.Windows.Interop
  Contains classes that provide managed code exposure for properties of the Silverlight plug-in, which otherwise exist in the HTML DOM of the hosting browser.

• System.Windows.Markup
  Contains classes that support Extensible Application Markup Language (XAML) processing in Silverlight.

• System.Windows.Media
  Contains classes that enable integration of rich media, including drawings, text, and audio/video content, in Silverlight-based applications.

• System.Windows.Media.Animation
  Contains classes that support property animation functionality, including timelines, storyboards, and key frames.

• System.Windows.Media.Effects
  Provides types that can be used to apply visual effects to bitmap images.

• System.Windows.Media.Imaging
  Contains classes used to encode and decode bitmap images.

• System.Windows.Media.Media3D
  Contains types that support matrix/perspective presentation in Silverlight.

• System.Windows.Messaging
  Provides types that support the creation of local messaging channels between multiple Silverlight-based applications.

• System.Windows.Navigation
  Provides types that support navigation.

• System.Windows.Printing
  Provides printing support and print dialog access for a Silverlight-based application..

• System.Windows.Resources
  Contains a class that provides resource stream information for application resources or other packages obtained through Application.GetResourceStream.

• System.Windows.Shapes
  Contains a library of basic shapes that can be used in Extensible Application Markup Language (XAML) or code. Also includes the Path class, which can load path data to describe a compound geometry either through an object model or an inline format.

• System.Windows.Threading
  Contains classes that support the Silverlight threading system.

• System.Xaml
  Provides a limited number of types for extensibility of Silverlight XAML, with the potential for cross-use via XAML schema contexts exchanged between XAML processors.

• System.Xml
  Provides standards-based support for processing XML.

• System.Xml.Linq
  Contains the types for LINQ to XML, which is an in-memory XML programming interface that enables you to modify XML documents efficiently and easily.

• System.Xml.Resolvers
  Contains classes that provide support for prepopulating the cache with DTDs or XML streams.

• System.Xml.Schema
  Contains the XML classes that provide standards-based support for XML Schema definition language (XSD) schemas.

• System.Xml.Serialization
  Contains classes that are used to serialize objects into XML format documents or streams.

• System.Xml.XPath
  Contains types that define a cursor model for navigating and editing XML information.

• System.Xml.Xsl
  Provides support for Extensible Stylesheet Transformation (XSLT) transforms.