Silverlight 1.0

Microsoft has announced the release of the final version (1.0) of Silverlight, a plugin for the different internet browsers that allows running managed code and/or JavaScript with innovative XAML-based presentations, as well as improvements in areas such as video.

One of the main features needed for this to be successful and truly compete with Flash Player is that it be interoperable across platforms and across browsers. To make it work correctly on Linux, the Mono group (at Novell), with Miguel Icaza at the helm, have formed an alliance to create MoonLight, the Linux version of Silverlight.

Some of the important features of Silverlight include:

• · XAML rendering in the browser, animations, vector graphics and all the toys this technology contains.
• · Support for streaming from any web server; this feature is very useful since it simplifies the infrastructure and the user experience when implementing video on a website.
• · Optional support for streaming servers such as Windows Media Server. (A free product that is part of Windows Server)
• · Many improvements to the user experience when working with video on the server.

Also announced was the release of the final version of Expression Encoder, a really good application for generating videos that can be used with Silverlight; this application allows you to take a video in almost any format and convert it to WMV.

Regarding the spread of this component, some independent calculations show that Microsoft-owned sites reach two-thirds of internet users in a year; this, without counting many other sites such as terra, MBL, etc. that are already using Silverlight on their sites, will guarantee the rapid popularization of this component and its applications.

Converting Files to XAML.

Since one of the fundamental features of Silverlight is the use of XAML to handle the graphical aspects, many will need to convert their assets from other tools or formats to XAML. For that, some have created tools that keep advancing in that area; a well-recommended one (although I have not used it personally) is published at WPF-Graphics site

Gattaca and Silverlight.

The first Colombian company to announce the capability to carry out projects with Expression Blend and Visual Studio, as well as projects that use Silverlight's features, is Gattaca S.A. This especially benefits Gattaca's clients in Spain, Colombia and Latin America.

Pd:

A good example of how to use Silverlight: MSN’s new Election ’08 site; I also think it is a good example of how technology should be used in an electoral process, like the one coming up in Colombia; however, it requires content from the different candidates, which is something none of them seems to have.

I hope this is helpful.

Juan Carlos Peláez

MCTS

Member of the Microsoft Andean Speaker Group

Member of the Influencers Group Colombia.

Keywords: Silverlight, Microsoft Expression Encoder, Microsoft Expression Blend, Encoder, Visual Studio 2008, Convert to XAML, Projects with Silverlight, Projects with Microsoft Expression.