Silverlight is a client side technology that provides rich platform for web applications. This RIA platform brings awesome experience to the end users based on Microsoft dotNET framework. Silverlight can be used to create a wide range of web applications for business, entertainment and other RIA demands.

Silverlight 4 with Microsoft Tools
Silverlight 4 is now supported in Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 by installing the Silverlight Tool for VS available for download from Microsoft website. Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 makes it easier for developers to design Silverlight interface by allowing dragging and dropping, editing properties and so on.

However, this is not the ultimate solutions for designers because Visual Studio is targeted to developers. Designers can use Microsoft Expression Blend to ease the GUI design with richer functionality such as storyboard and advanced support and arrangement for design work.

Silverlight for Beginners
By using C#, VB and F# as development languages, Silverlight has been easier and much faster to learn for experienced Microsoft developers. However, there has been much improvement and changes in the development of both Silverlight and dotNET platform, it still takes much time to master Silverlight.

Is Silverlight Right for me?
After I learned the basic of Sliverlight 4 and developed a few applications, I had this question in my mind. Finally, I figured out that it is a powerful RIA platform that is suitable for websites that need to offer rich user experience and business applications. This should not be applicable for information websites that target high SEO ranking such as blogs, article directories etc.

Why I Should Consider Silverlight Compared to other RIA Platforms?
The following is some of my opinions:
- Great tool support with Microsoft Visual Studio and Microsoft Expression Studio
- Use existing skills to develop applications without learning the new language.
- Active development and quite a lot of changes and improvement to make life easier
- Awesome user experience through dotNET platform
- Dramatically reduce development time by using built-in and third-party controls
- Openness to New Possibility with Microsoft Technology
Silverlight community is growing and growing.

Whatever great the technology is, users must use it smartly to do the right things at the right time to avoid unnecessary expenses in term of money, time and effort. It is just not wise to stick to you technology without thinking about how it benefits you back in the end. This is because adopting new technology is a big decision. It will affect your work so much.

New Features in Silverlight 4
- New Controls including RichTextBox, Viewbox, WebBrowser and WebBrowserBrush
- Out-of-Browser Support
- Media enhancement with DRM offline, capturing source input from webcam and microphone etc
- Networking improvement with client http process, multicast etc
- Printing the user interface
- User Interface improvement including drag and drop, clipboard access, full screen support etc

For realistic information about free website traffic – please make sure to study the webpage. The time has come when concise information is really within one click, use this opportunity.

Popularity: 1% [?]