Silverlight 2 ships!

  • Article

Over the past year Microsoft Silverlight has led the way for developers and designers to create compelling media experiences and Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) on the Web via an easy to use, quickly installed browser plug-in. With the release of Silverlight 2, Microsoft is delivering a wide range of new platform features and tooling options that enable designers and developers to better collaborate while creating more accessible, more discoverable, and more secure end-user experiences.

 

Silverlight 2 will be available for download on Tuesday, October 14 at https://www.microsoft.com/silverlight. Customers already using a previous version of Silverlight will be automatically upgraded to Silverlight 2.

Delivering Features for Next-Generation Web Experiences - Highlights of new Silverlight 2 features include:

· .NET Framework Support with a Rich Base Class Library: A compatible subset of the full .NET Framework

· Powerful Built-in Controls: Includes DataGrid, ListBox, Slider, ScrollViewer, Calendar controls and more

· Advanced Skinning and Templating Support: Makes it easy to customize the look and feel of an application

· Deep Zoom: Enables unparalleled interactivity and navigation of ultra-high resolution imagery

· Comprehensive Networking Support: Out-of-the-box support for calling REST, WS*/SOAP, POX, RSS, and standard HTTP services, enabling users to create applications that easily integrate with existing back-end systems

· Expanded .NET Framework Language Support: Unlike other runtimes, Silverlight 2 supports a variety of programming languages, including: Visual Basic, C#, JavaScript, IronPython and IronRuby, making it easier for developers already familiar with one of these languages to repurpose their existing skill sets.

· Advanced Content Protection: Now including Silverlight DRM, powered by PlayReady-offering robust content protection for connected Silverlight experiences

· Improved Server Scalability and Expanded Advertiser Support: New streaming and progressive download capabilities, superior search engine optimization (SEO) techniques, and next-generation in-stream advertising support

· Vibrant Partner Ecosystem: Visual Studio Industry Partners such as ComponentOne, Infragistics, and Telerik are providing products that further enhance developer capabilities when creating Silverlight applications using Visual Studio.

· Cross Platform and Cross Browser: Support for Mac, Windows and Linux in Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer