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Introduction to Silverlight: Unveiling the Future of Client-Side Technologies

Dive into the world of Silverlight with Alan Cobb, an independent consultant specialized in Microsoft platforms. This presentation covers Silverlight basics, its benefits over Flash, comparison with other client platforms, versions, positives, negatives, and features of Silverlight 2.0.

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Introduction to Silverlight: Unveiling the Future of Client-Side Technologies

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  1. Introduction to Silverlight

  2. About Alan Cobb • Independent consultant since mid-80s on Microsoft platforms • C#, WinForms, WPF, .NET • One of directors of the SacDotNet U.G. • http://www.alancobb.com

  3. Presentation Overview • What is Silverlight? • How does it relate to other client-side technologies? • How important is it? Silverlight app development walk-through

  4. What is Silverlight? • One word definition: Flash • Browser plug-in: cross-browser, cross-platform • Use case today: Animated ads, Video • Use case tomorrow: Applications (Flex) • Benefits: Adds functionality + write-once-run-everywhere • Why Silverlight not Flash? • More words: Flash + .NET • More words: WPF-subset + .NET-subset

  5. This is a big deal • Once-every-20-years event • Existing client-side web technology has reached the peak of its life-cycle • Fresh start of a new client GUI technology • Web is where the action is • The network is the computer

  6. Comparing client platforms Desktop: Web: Win16 Win32WinForms HTML / CSS / JavaScript / AJAX WPF Silverlight Flash / Flex

  7. Competing technologies • Desktop based “smart clients” • WPF on high end • 3D, Hardware acceleration • WinForms: (Mature, proven) • Web-based: • ASP.NET - HTML + CSS • ASP.NET - HTML + CSS + AJAX • Adobe Flash / Flex • Desktop-web hybrid (?): • Adobe AIR

  8. Demo – Yahoo Finance Charts *

  9. Demo – Picnik.com Photo Editor *

  10. Feature Details

  11. WPF / Silverlight – Positives: • Vector based vs. pixel based • Scalable – Looks good at multiple resolutions • XAML – Similar to HTML • Declarative • Designers and programmers work in parallel • Rich customization is possible in a well-designed way

  12. WPF - Negatives • Windows only • Requires 50 / 200 MB .NET 3.x runtime • Steep learning curve

  13. Versions of Silverlight • 1.0 • RTM in Sept. 2007 • Code behind – JavaScript only • 1.1 / 2.0 • Alpha introduced in Spring 2007. • Beta at MIX08 in March 2008. • RTM maybe Q3-2008. • Code behind - .NET languages C#, etc. • Partial .NET class library

  14. Silverlight - Positives • Lightweight at 4-6 MB, quick download • .NET based • Write in C# or VB.NET • Use familiar class libraries • Rich state-of-the-art GUI • Vector based • All types of content handled uniformly • Secure - sandboxed

  15. Silverlight - Negatives • Not quite here yet • “Pig in a poke” • Sandboxing limits functionality • Conflicting products within Microsoft?

  16. Demo: Silverlight Airlines *

  17. Demo: MS Download Center *

  18. Demo: 3rd Party Control Vendor *

  19. Silverlight 2.0 Features: • Won’t know details until March 2008 Controls: Data: Communications:

  20. Silverlight 2.0 Features: • Controls: • Extensible control base classes • Common controls: • Textbox, Checkbox, Radiobutton, etc • TabControl, Slider, ScrollViewer, ProgressBar, etc • Layout controls: • Grid, StackPanel • Data controls: • DataGrid, etc

  21. Silverlight 2.0 Features: • Data: • 2-way data binding • More LINQ support: LINQ to XML

  22. Silverlight 2.0 Features: • Communications: • REST, POX, RSS, and WS-* communication • Cross domain network access • Sockets

  23. Feature Unknowns (?) • Local client integration? • Read and write local files? • Read local mic and webcam? • WCF? • Depth of class libraries? • Pay-for-play

  24. SilverlightDevelopmentWalk-through

  25. Silverlight Tools • Expression Blend: • GUI builder • Graphic designers • Visual Studio 2008: • Includes a more limited GUI builder • Programmers

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