Silverlight

Hitesh TrivediComputer Science

B.Tech A-SecJ.I.E.T

Silverlight Introduction

• Another technology for creating RIAs

• Plug-in, similar to Flash

• Cross-platform, cross-browser, open standard

• Comfortable for desktop/server developers

• Program in C#/VB/Python/Ruby

• Can run out-of-browser too

• User interfaces are declared in Extensible Application Markup Language (XAML)

• Silverlight can also be used to create Windows Sidebar gadgets for Windows Vista

Silverlight Processing Model

• Silverlight works much like Javascript• Gets loaded with the page (html or aspx).

• A parse tree that mirrors the Xaml is built and rendered

• Events, like the button click, are processed by bindings between a silverlight control (the button) and an event handler.

• This works just like Javascript events, with no postback to the server.

Version Evolution of Silverlight

Silverlight 1• Released in 2007• Developed under the codename Windows Presentation

Foundation/Everywhere (WPF/E)• A Silverlight 1.0

application hosted in Internet Explorer. Interactivity is provided by Silverlight, but user input controls are HTML controls overlaid on top of Silverlight content

Silverlight 2• Embeds Common Language Runtime (.NET)

– Silverlight Class Libraries– Subset of .NET Base Class Libraries with extra Silverlight

Functionality– Silverlight Control Toolkit– TextBoxes, Buttons, DropDownLists, Calendars, DataGrids, etc

• A Silverlight 2 application hosted in Internet Explorer. Version 2 brings improved interactivity and support for some native .NET languages and development tools

Silverlight 3• Released July 9, 2009.• Includes an increased number of controls

• Silverlight Toolkit• navigation framework• Supports (AAC) audio• Supports H.264 video

• A Silverlight 3 application, with one instance running in Google Chrome as well as installed locally.

Silverlight 4• Web cam and microphone support.

• Printing support.

• Improved mouse support including right button support and mouse wheel support.

• New notification support to display messages to end users.

• New and enhanced controls such as a RichTextBox and an enhanced DataGrid control.

Silverlight 5• Supports GPU accelerated video decoding

• Built in 3D graphics support (not to be confused with stereoscopic 3D)

• Variable speed playback of media content with automatic audio pitch correction

• Improved power awareness

• Built in Remote-control support

• Supports faster application startup

• Provides 64-bit browser support.

• Delivers improved text clarity.

Moonlight• It is a free and open source

implementation of Microsoft's Silverlight for Linux and other Unix based operating systems, developed by the Mono Project

• Cross-Platform .NET implementation

• Runs Windows Forms and Gtk# Desktop Apps, as well as ASP.NET

Supporting Language-XAML

• Extensible Application Markup Language is a declarative XML-based language

• created by Microsoft

• Used as a user interface markup language

• XAML files can be created and edited with visual design tools such as Microsoft Expression Blend, Microsoft Visual Studio