April 12, 2023 | 1

Silverlight 101

April 12, 2023 | 2

Goals

:Introduce Silverlight (Part 1): Background

: Technology

:Provide knowledge bridge to Flex/Flash technologies (Part 1 & 2)

:Demos (Part 2)

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Silverlight

From Microsoft:

A cross-browser, cross-platform, and cross-device plug-in for delivering the next generation of .NET based media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web.

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Silverlight 1.0

: Provide competition to Flash

:Replace media players in current web pages

:Deliver simple animation advertising for websites

:RTW September 2007

:1.37MB Download

:Declarative UI (XAML)

:Controlled via Javascript

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Silverlight 2.0

: Same name but much different than 1.0

: Supports all v1.0 Features

: Currently Beta 2 with Go Live license

: Expected RTW October 2008

: ~4MB Download

: Includes cross-platform, thinned-down version of .Net platform

: Controlled via : Compiled .Net language (C#, VB)

: Dynamic Languages (IronPython, IronRuby)

: Interpreted Javascript

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Cross-Platform Support

:Windows Server 2003, Vista, XP, 2000

:Mac OS X 10.4.8 and newer for both Power-PC and Intel-based hardware

:Linux via open source Moonlight project

:All major browsers on these platforms

:Silverlight for Mobile due Q4 2008: Silverlight 1.0 features

: Windows Mobile and Nokia S60

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Plug-In Distribution

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Visual Studio 2008

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Expression Blend

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Silverlight Applications

:Served by any web server (including Apache on Linux)

:Require a host page

:Each plug-in instance points to a url that returns XAML and optional code

:XAML document can link to .Net managed code OR use Javascript

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Security

: Managed through attributes (metadata) placed on code

: Application code (Transparent) vs Platform Code (SafeCritical, Critical)

: Only code signed with MSFT key and downloaded from a MSFT secure server can expose SafeCritical or Critical entry points

: Silverlight app code can only reference other “Silverlight class libraries”

: Cross-domain network security handled through policy file on remote server

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Accessibility

:Supports Microsoft’s UI Automation (UIA) Framework: Enables screen readers and other assistive tools to interact with Silverlight components

:Supports high-contrast scenarios

:These features enable section 508 compliant applications

:UIA support also enables automated UI testing of applications

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SEO & Analytics

:SEO: Silverlight has same problems as other RIA’s in how do you determine “what” data to expose.

: Currently content is exposed through text-based XAML

: Still requires search engines to index the linked XAML

:Analytics: Enabled through Javascript calls to analytics vendors.

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Localization

:Uses standard .Net resource files for development

:Packages resources for desired locales into the application package (xaml, code-behind, resources)

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Silverlight Future Investments

:Content Distribution:Video, Audio, IPTV

:Advertising

:MSFT really wants in your living room

:LOB Scenarios

:Designer Mindshare Scenarios

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Competitors

:Adobe Flex/Flash

:DHTML + AJAX: Improved Javascript Engines (Google Chrome)

:JavaFX

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Factors Leading to Viability

:Player Penetration

:Development Costs

:Designer Tooling

:Client Demand

:Time

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Why do we care about Silverlight?

:Because our clients care

:Because we are a solutions/services company, not a platform/product company

:Because there are lots of .Net developers

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Resources

: www.silverlight.net (development community)

: www.microsoft.com/silverlight (marketing site)

: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/silverlight/default.aspx (development reference)

: http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/default.aspx (MSFT GM Blog)

: http://channel9.msdn.com/tags/Silverlight (developer video site)

: More detailed development scenarios will be covered in upcoming Microsoft Practice Group meetings.

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Silverlight 101 Part 2

:Part 2 (Andy Roth): Silverlight for Flash/Flex developers

: Designer – Developer Workflow

: Demos

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Silverlight for Flash and Flex Developers

Concerns:

•New set of tools (Expression and Visual Studio)

•New languages (XAML and C#)

•Designer / Developer Workflow

•Simplicity of common tasks

•Animation

•Skinning / Themes

•Custom & built in controls

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Silverlight tools

Expression Blend

• Basic vector drawing tools

• Layout controls (Canvas, Stackpanel, Grid)

• User controls (Button, List, Textbox, Scrollbar)

• Detailed properties panel for editing layout, transformation, colors, and other component properties.

• Storyboard component for animations

• Animate any property of controls over a timeline

Similar to Flex’s design view, with Flash’s drawing and animation tools

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Silverlight Tools

Visual Studio 2008

•Mature development environment

• Familiar to .NET devs

Languages

• XAML – Markup similar to MXML

• C# - Written in code-behind for each XAML component

Very easy separation of markup and logic

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Designer / Developer Workflow

• Expression saves and edits as XAML similar to Thermo

• Switch between Expression and Visual Studio easily

•Unlikely designers will embrace it – Windows only

• Expression Design can import Illustrator and export XAML

• Component skinning using states and transitions between states

• Component styling with XAML resources, not CSS

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Overall Impressions

•Pros• Easy to create simple applications

• Languages and tools have small learning curve

• Powerful .NET framework

•Well integrated tools

•Cons• Not enough designer focus

• Young platform – not many 3rd party components & libraries

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Resources

• http://www.shinedraw.com/ - Flash and Silverlight comparison examples

• http://www.projectrosetta.com/ - Silverlight resources for Flash devs

• http://www.realsoftwaredevelopment.com/top-10-silverlight-real-world-implementations/ - 10 larger implementations (mostly video)

• http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/archive/2008/06/06/silverlight-2-beta2-released.aspx - Beta 2 improvements

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THANK YOU