What Is Silverlight & Do You Need It?

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Are you looking for a strong tool for developing and providing excellent web applications and web media experiences? Silverlight is the most powerful tool which lets you build amazing business applications and assists you in providing the most fruitful media experiences. Recently, a new version of Silverlight has been introduced, which features 40 new characteristics. By reading this article, you will know what is Silverlight and what benefits it renders to you as a user and application developer.

What is Silverlight?

Silverlight is a technology which was launched by Microsoft in 2007. This amazing technology is the implementation of cross platform framework and cross-browser which allows you to produce excellent web applications which can be embedded in the websites. The browser is 6 MB in size and it is a software which is free from client side. It comes with a very fast and easy installation process and can be easily installed through all the web browsers.

Silverlight offers its support to the process of data integration, HD video and multithreading with the help of IIS Smooth Streaming. It contains built in protection for the content of websites. The technology also enables offline and online web applications for wide range of consumers and business scenarios.

The basic aim of Silverlight technology is to cover up the gap existing between web applications and windows applications on the basis of graphical user interface. The applications produced by Silverlight run as client-side apps and they do not require their browser to refresh for the updates. Containing built in .NET framework, this Silverlight app can integrate services and controls of sever side. You can integrate the libraries and then code them with the help of applications produced by Silverlight.

Why Using Silverlight?

Here are some valid reasons which state why you should use Silverlight for the development of web applications for your businesses.

Simplicity

Silverlight SimplicityThe plugins of Silverlight helps you in targeting consistent and single runtime for all web based applications. You do not have to work with a large number of browsers as it creates complexity for you in variant ways. You are also provided with multimedia and video effects which are impossible to obtain from JavaScript and HTML. Although Adobe Flash player has the same benefits, yet it cannot compete with the simplicity and easiness rendered by the use of Silverlight.

Runtime

The plugin of Silverlight incorporates a run time; however, it does not deal with the download of large and heavy files of Windows installers. You just have to download small and simple file of 4 MB. The entire work is handled by the browser itself, so the process of installation of Silverlight is very simple, easy and smooth. It does not require a lot of runtime for executing the function. Simply download the file and run it. Your installation will complete within a few minutes.

Performance

Silverlight PerformanceSilverlight offers a promising performance. It works perfectly with the prime number calculator because of the compilation of JIT to native codes. However, it cannot be compared with the performance of graphics. The overall work done by Silverlight for you is excellent, promising and rendering effective and most required results to you in the form of successfully working web applications and browser based apps. The outstanding performance factor makes Silverlight the best framework to be used for developing web based apps for your business.

Indexation

XAML can be interpreted directly by Silverlight. On the other hand, MXML converts into SWF at the time of compilation. Actually, the pages of XAML are incorporated in the form of resources in the complied form. Silverlight apps make use of XAP binary for the process of deployment. The XAP file is a zipped file which contains variant kinds of extension. It means that the search engines can easily index the text which is written in the applications of Silverlight.

Visual Studios

Silverlight Visual StudiosIDE of Microsoft is a very much liked environment of application development. It is also considered the best tool for ASP.NET apps. You can also use them for codes of server-side and for the clients of Silverlight too. The Silverlight SDK provides an effective support to the compilation command line for those who are unable to get started with the visual studios. Therefore, if you want to use visual studios for your web applications, Silverlight is a perfect solution for you.

Multiple Languages

Silverlight offers its support to multiple languages. With the features of .NET and its runtime, you can easily code the client-side login in Visual Basic while using Silverlight. The feature of Dynamic Language Runtime provides a powerful support to this feature of Silverlight. If you are using Silverlight framework, you do not have to worry about the issue of language as it supports different languages for effective usage and perfect outcome.