Flash versus Silverlight: Do you really want to be stuck using only one language in your game?

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image Programming in Flash is pretty simple, you MUST use Actionscript, which is a form of ECMASCRIPT.  Yawn, boring.

In Silverlight you can program with the following languages:

Languages supported by Flash Languages supported by Silverlight
  • Actionscript
  • F#
  • C#
  • C++
  • Javascript/Ecmascript
  • Visual Basic
  • Python (not Iron Python)
  • Iron Python (as different from Python)
  • Ruby
  • Lua (I’ll explain)
  • J# (not that many people do)
  • Roll your own programming language

So, to me, Flash = BORING and lock in to a single language and a single vendor.  Silverlight doesn’t force me to use a single language and allows more differentiation in coding style.

Also, in creating games the other problem is managing the whole system, for instance, Silverlight works with Visual Studio Team System with ties into Team Foundation server which ties into to project management, infrastructure simulation and operational management.  That means that Silverlight is a fully integrated system from stem to stern without a break with training and certification for much of the design.  Flash, well, it does one thing, pretty well.

How can this be?  Silverlight can be used with any number of languages, for instance if you wanted to create a tool to work with Silverlight, let’s say Lua, then you would be able to utilize the Silverlight Dynamic Language Runtime SDK as an example on how to use the Dynamic Language Runtime (DLR). The DLR is discussed in the article: Dynamic Languages and Silverlight, so I guess if you wanted to you could create a DLR that consumes Actionscript!  Now that would be cool, Actionscript working with Silverlight.  Except I like VB, C# and F# better than a javascript knock off.

Looks like I am bias, go figure.

Technorati Tags: Silverlight,XAML,Flash,Dynamic Language Runtime,DLR,Ruby,Python