Microsoft is one of the leaders in developing quality software. One of such products is Microsoft Silverlight.
Despite the fact that this utility was released back in 2007, many users are still unaware of its capabilities. To get the most out of the Silverlight platform, it is important to understand its functionality, as well as to know how to install the program correctly.
Silverlight is a powerful software from Microsoft, which is analogous to Adobe Flash, and also has similar capabilities. It is available on Windows, Mac OS X and Symbian. However, Silverlight is not an ordinary program.
It is a platform for writing and running RIA web applications that are downloaded to the device, and can be dynamically updated at runtime by downloading data from the web. Silverlight is a technology used to develop multimedia software.
Microsoft Silverlight is an innovative technology that includes a module for the web browser. This module allows you to run applications with animation, vector or raster graphics, audio or video. The core component of the platform is the extensible XML-based markup language XALM. It allows you to add textual content to your application that is indexed by popular search engines such as Google.
Since the second version of Silverlight, the software has become a part of .NET technology, which allows applications to be developed in various programming languages such as C#, Object C++, and Python. Due to its cross-platform nature, all applications developed on the Silverlight platform function equally well on both PCs and phones.
Why it’s needed
To be able to view animation, streaming video, audio or interactive page content on websites, you need to install the appropriate plugin in your browser. There are several browsers that support Silverlight, but it is recommended to use the standard Internet Explorer. This technology works only on older versions of programs.
The utility is not only an analog of Adobe Flash, but also offers a much wider set of features:
- cross-platform software, which allows it to be used on different operating systems;
- indexing of written texts, which increases their visibility on the web;
- ability to install the plugin as a browser extension, which simplifies its use;
- full support for XAML with NET, which extends the possibilities of applications;
- pixel shader effects that allow you to create unique visual effects;
- lightweight software, low resource requirements, and easy installation make it accessible to a wide range of users;
- free distribution of the software, which allows you to use it without additional costs;
- possibility to transmit video stream to the server from the client, use of microphone with web-camera (from version 4), which simplifies creation of interactive applications;
- support for 64-bit operating systems (since Silverlight 5 version), which improves software performance;
- ability to create web applications or web pages, as well as a good toolkit for working with graphics;
- high quality video playback without MediaPlayer;
- playback speed control (since version 5).