Features Matrix
The Features Matrix below provides an overview of the new capabilities in Silverlight
2. Silverlight 2 is able to run Silverlight 1.0 applications without change.
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Features
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Silverlight 1.0
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Silverlight 2
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Cross-Browser Support for Firefox, IE, Safari
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Cross-Platform Support for Windows and Mac (and Linux through the Moonlight Project)
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2D Vector Animation/Graphics
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AJAX Support
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HTML DOM Integration
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HTTP Networking
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Canvas Layout Support
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JavaScript Support
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Silverlight ASP.NET Controls (asp:media, asp:xaml)
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XAML Parser (based on WPF)
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Media – 720P High Definition (HD) Video
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Media – Audio/Video Support (VC-1, WMV, WMA, MP3)
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Media – Image Support (JPG, PNG)
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Media Markers
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Windows Media Server Support
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Support for Visual Basic.NET and C#; Common Language Runtime (CLR) based languages
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Support for IronPython, IronRuby, Managed JScript, and other Dynamic Language Runtime
(DLR) based languages
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Rich Core Framework (e.g. Generics, collections)
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Multi-Threading
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Layout controls including StackPanel and Grid
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Full suite of Controls (TextBox, RadioButton, Slider, Calendar, DatePicker, DataGrid,
ListBox, TabControl, and others)
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Managed Control Framework
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Templating Model
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Visual State Manager
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Isolated Storage
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Deep Zoom Technology
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Media – DRM Powered by PlayReady
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Media - Windows Media Audio 10 Professional support
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Media - MediaStreamSource for managed code media file parser and protocol extensibility
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High quality resizing
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Media - Basic SSPL Support
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Cross Domain Network Access
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Easy access to server-side data via Web Services
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Direct access to TCP sockets
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Interoperability with SOAP and REST services, including support for XML, JSON, RSS
and Atom data formats
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LINQ (including LINQ to XML, LINQ to JSON, and LINQ to Entities)
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Duplex communications (“push” from Server to Silverlight client)
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Data Binding
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ADO.NET Data Services
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Managed HTML Bridge
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Managed Exception Handling
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.NET Framework Security Enforcement
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Type Safety Verification
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XMLReader/Writer
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Enhanced Keyboard Input Support
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File Upload Support (via WebClient API)
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WPF Compatibility
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Accessibility
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Localization
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Remote Debugging (PC and Mac)
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Silverlight Tools
Microsoft Silverlight enables designers and developers to easily use existing skills
to deliver media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web with
role-specific tools: for designers, Microsoft Expression Studio, and for developers,
Microsoft Visual Studio.
Microsoft Expression Studio takes the many sides of a designer’s creative personality
to a whole new level. These professional design tools provide a greater flexibility
to create sophisticated applications and content, while also providing compatibility
with powerful developer tools to facilitate the development process of the completed
site. Expression Blend delivers a set of features that enable designers to create
compelling user experiences for Silverlight. Expression Design enables the ability
to create rich visual elements for Silverlight applications.
Silverlight offers a flexible and consistent programming model that supports AJAX,
IronPython, IronRuby, and .NET languages such as Visual Basic and C#, and integrates
with existing Web applications. Developers can take advantage of the current version
of Microsoft Visual Studio to make building Silverlight application easier than
ever.
While both suites of products, Expression Studio and Visual Studio, are within the
realms of building the next generation of applications, they target different roles
and metaphors when building your solution. Expression Studio has been built for
designers to create the graphics and user interaction in a Silverlight application,
whereas the Visual Studio family of products targets developers who add application
logic and code.
Microsoft® Expression® Studio
Microsoft® Expression®
Studio professional design tools provide a greater flexibility to create
sophisticated applications and content, while also providing compatibility with
powerful developer tools. Expression Blend 2 SP1 enables designers to create compelling
user experiences for Silverlight. Expression Design 2 enables the ability to create
rich visual elements for Silverlight applications.
Microsoft® Visual Studio®
Microsoft Visual
Studio 2008 professional developer tool makes programming Silverlight applications
easier than ever. Silverlight offers a flexible and consistent programming model
that supports AJAX, IronPython, IronRuby, and .NET languages such as VB and C#,
and integrates with existing Web applications.
Developing Silverlight Experiences
The add-on to create Silverlight applications using Visual Studio 2008. This install
also installs the Silverlight Developer Runtime and the Silverlight 2 SDK. Silverlight
Tools for Visual Studio 2008 SP1 works with Visual Studio 2008 as well as Visual
Web Developer.
Designing Silverlight Experiences
Expression Studio 2
Microsoft® Expression® Studio takes your creative possibilities to a new
level. The professional design tools and innovative technologies in Expression Studio
give you the flexibility and freedom to bring your vision to reality—whether you
are designing standards-based Web sites, rich user experiences for the desktop and
Silverlight, or managing digital assets and content.
Expression Design
Expression Design 2 is a professional illustration and graphic design tool that
lets you build compelling elements for both Web and desktop application user interfaces.
Creating rich visual elements for Silverlight applications is made simple using
Expression Design. XAML is automatically generated for elements that are supported
on the Silverlight platform and all other visuals are automatically rasterized and
included as bitmap objects. The use of XAML means the designer can be confident
that the look-and-feel- of their graphics or user interface elements-will be maintained
through the whole workflow, from Expression Design, through Expression Blend to
Visual Studio.
Expression Blend 2
Expression Blend 2 is the professional design tool to create engaging, Web-connected,
user experiences for Silverlight. Expression Blend seamlessly imports XAML assets
created in Expression Design and enables a powerful workflow between designers and
developers by sharing a common project format with Visual Studio, allowing you to
bring your cutting-edge user interfaces and stunning designs to life.
Expression Encoder 2
Expression Encoder enables rapid import, compression and Web publishing of digital
video imported from a variety of popular formats, including AVI and QuickTime, into
WMV. Capable of running on the desktop or Windows Server, Expression Media Encoder
is a template-driven system that integrates seamlessly into existing Web publishing
workflows for both live and on-demand content delivery.
