Silverlight applications learning.

Question

Hi,

I am just curious, why is Silverlight not used as much as other web languages such as HTML/CSS or javascript?

Is it worth learning?

Here, i am attaching a little example of silverlightApp.

**** MAIN ****

<UserControl x:Class="SilverlightAppRevision2.MainPage"
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
    xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
    xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
    mc:Ignorable="d"
    d:DesignHeight="300" d:DesignWidth="400"
             xmlns:riaControls="clr-namespace:System.Windows.Controls;assembly=System.Windows.Controls.DomainServices"
             xmlns:my="clr-namespace:SilverlightAppRevision2.Web"
             xmlns:utils="clr-namespace:SilverlightAppRevision2.myClass"
             xmlns:sdk="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation/sdk">

    <UserControl.Resources>
        <utils:myImageConverter x:Key="ImgValConv"/>
    </UserControl.Resources>

    <Grid x:Name="LayoutRoot" Background="Silver">
        <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
            <ColumnDefinition Width="*" />
            <ColumnDefinition Width="*" />
        </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
        <Grid.RowDefinitions>
            <RowDefinition Height="0.2*" />
            <RowDefinition Height="*" />
            <RowDefinition Height="*" />
        </Grid.RowDefinitions>
        <Border Grid.Column="0" Grid.Row="0" Grid.ColumnSpan="2">
            <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal" Margin="10">
                <sdk:Label FontSize="16" FontWeight="Bold" Foreground="AliceBlue">Choice of Color:</sdk:Label>
                <TextBox Width="250" Height="25" x:Name="txtSearchColor" TextChanged="txtSearchColor_TextChanged"></TextBox>
            </StackPanel>
        </Border>
        <riaControls:DomainDataSource AutoLoad="True" d:DesignData="{d:DesignInstance my:Product, CreateList=true}" Height="0" LoadedData="productDomainDataSource_LoadedData" Name="productDomainDataSource" QueryName="GetProductsQuery" Width="0">
            <riaControls:DomainDataSource.DomainContext>
                <my:DomainService1 />
            </riaControls:DomainDataSource.DomainContext>
            <riaControls:DomainDataSource.SortDescriptors>
                <riaControls:SortDescriptor PropertyPath="Color" />
            </riaControls:DomainDataSource.SortDescriptors>
        </riaControls:DomainDataSource>
        <sdk:DataGrid Grid.Column="0" Grid.Row="1" Grid.ColumnSpan="2" Margin="10" AutoGenerateColumns="False" ItemsSource="{Binding ElementName=productDomainDataSource, Path=Data}" Name="productDataGrid" RowDetailsVisibilityMode="VisibleWhenSelected" VerticalAlignment="Top">
            <sdk:DataGrid.Columns>
                <sdk:DataGridTextColumn x:Name="colorColumn" Binding="{Binding Path=Color}" Header="Color" Width="SizeToHeader" />
                <sdk:DataGridTextColumn x:Name="listPriceColumn" Binding="{Binding Path=ListPrice}" Header="List Price" Width="SizeToHeader" />
                <sdk:DataGridTemplateColumn x:Name="modifiedDateColumn" Header="Modified Date" Width="SizeToHeader">
                    <sdk:DataGridTemplateColumn.CellEditingTemplate>
                        <DataTemplate>
                            <sdk:DatePicker SelectedDate="{Binding Path=ModifiedDate, Mode=TwoWay, NotifyOnValidationError=true, ValidatesOnExceptions=true}" />
                        </DataTemplate>
                    </sdk:DataGridTemplateColumn.CellEditingTemplate>
                    <sdk:DataGridTemplateColumn.CellTemplate>
                        <DataTemplate>
                            <TextBlock Text="{Binding Path=ModifiedDate, StringFormat=\{0:d\}}" />
                        </DataTemplate>
                    </sdk:DataGridTemplateColumn.CellTemplate>
                </sdk:DataGridTemplateColumn>
                <sdk:DataGridTextColumn x:Name="nameColumn" Binding="{Binding Path=Name}" Header="Name" Width="SizeToHeader" />
                <sdk:DataGridTextColumn x:Name="productCategoryIDColumn" Binding="{Binding Path=ProductCategoryID}" Header="Product Category ID" Width="SizeToHeader" />
                <sdk:DataGridTextColumn x:Name="productIDColumn" Binding="{Binding Path=ProductID, Mode=OneWay}" Header="Product ID" IsReadOnly="True" Width="SizeToHeader" />
                <sdk:DataGridTextColumn x:Name="productModelIDColumn" Binding="{Binding Path=ProductModelID}" Header="Product Model ID" Width="SizeToHeader" />
                <sdk:DataGridTextColumn x:Name="productNumberColumn" Binding="{Binding Path=ProductNumber}" Header="Product Number" Width="SizeToHeader" />
                <sdk:DataGridTextColumn x:Name="rowguidColumn" Binding="{Binding Path=rowguid}" Header="Rowguid" Width="SizeToHeader" />
                <sdk:DataGridTemplateColumn x:Name="sellEndDateColumn" Header="Sell End Date" Width="SizeToHeader">
                    <sdk:DataGridTemplateColumn.CellEditingTemplate>
                        <DataTemplate>
                            <sdk:DatePicker SelectedDate="{Binding Path=SellEndDate, Mode=TwoWay, NotifyOnValidationError=true, ValidatesOnExceptions=true, TargetNullValue=''}" />
                        </DataTemplate>
                    </sdk:DataGridTemplateColumn.CellEditingTemplate>
                    <sdk:DataGridTemplateColumn.CellTemplate>
                        <DataTemplate>
                            <TextBlock Text="{Binding Path=SellEndDate, StringFormat=\{0:d\}}" />
                        </DataTemplate>
                    </sdk:DataGridTemplateColumn.CellTemplate>
                </sdk:DataGridTemplateColumn>
                <sdk:DataGridTemplateColumn x:Name="sellStartDateColumn" Header="Sell Start Date" Width="SizeToHeader">
                    <sdk:DataGridTemplateColumn.CellEditingTemplate>
                        <DataTemplate>
                            <sdk:DatePicker SelectedDate="{Binding Path=SellStartDate, Mode=TwoWay, NotifyOnValidationError=true, ValidatesOnExceptions=true}" />
                        </DataTemplate>
                    </sdk:DataGridTemplateColumn.CellEditingTemplate>
                    <sdk:DataGridTemplateColumn.CellTemplate>
                        <DataTemplate>
                            <TextBlock Text="{Binding Path=SellStartDate, StringFormat=\{0:d\}}" />
                        </DataTemplate>
                    </sdk:DataGridTemplateColumn.CellTemplate>
                </sdk:DataGridTemplateColumn>
                <sdk:DataGridTextColumn x:Name="sizeColumn" Binding="{Binding Path=Size}" Header="Size" Width="SizeToHeader" />
                <sdk:DataGridTextColumn x:Name="standardCostColumn" Binding="{Binding Path=StandardCost}" Header="Standard Cost" Width="SizeToHeader" />
                <sdk:DataGridTemplateColumn x:Name="thumbnailPhoto" Header="Image" Width="SizeToHeader">
                    <sdk:DataGridTemplateColumn.CellTemplate>
                        <DataTemplate>
                            <Image Source="{Binding Path=ThumbNailPhoto, Converter={StaticResource ImgValConv}}" />
                        </DataTemplate>
                    </sdk:DataGridTemplateColumn.CellTemplate>
                </sdk:DataGridTemplateColumn>
                <sdk:DataGridTextColumn x:Name="thumbnailPhotoFileNameColumn" Binding="{Binding Path=ThumbnailPhotoFileName}" Header="Thumbnail Photo File Name" Width="SizeToHeader" />
                <sdk:DataGridTextColumn x:Name="weightColumn" Binding="{Binding Path=Weight}" Header="Weight" Width="SizeToHeader" />
            </sdk:DataGrid.Columns>
        </sdk:DataGrid>
        <sdk:DataPager Grid.Row="1" Grid.ColumnSpan="2" HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Bottom" Source="{Binding ElementName=productDomainDataSource, Path=Data}"
                               Name="dataPager1" PageSize="15" DataContext="{Binding}" />
        <ListBox Grid.Row="2" Background="LightBlue" Margin="10" BorderBrush="Black" BorderThickness="5" ItemsSource="{Binding ElementName=productDomainDataSource, Path=Data}">
            <ListBox.ItemTemplate>
                <DataTemplate>
                    <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal">
                        <TextBlock FontSize="16" Text="{Binding Path=Name}" Margin="0,0,5,0" FontStyle="Italic"></TextBlock>
                        <Image Source="{Binding Path=ThumbNailPhoto, Converter={StaticResource ImgValConv}}"/>
                    </StackPanel>
                </DataTemplate>
            </ListBox.ItemTemplate>
        </ListBox>
        <StackPanel Grid.Column="1" Grid.Row="2" DataContext="{Binding ElementName=productDomainDataSource, Path=Data}">
            <TextBlock FontSize="16" FontWeight="Bold" Text="{Binding Name}" Width="130" Height="30" />
            <Image Margin="10" Height="250" Width="250" Source="{Binding ThumbNailPhoto, Converter={StaticResource ImgValConv}}" />
        </StackPanel>
    </Grid>
</UserControl>

**** Main c# ****

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Net;
using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Controls;
using System.Windows.Documents;
using System.Windows.Input;
using System.Windows.Media;
using System.Windows.Media.Animation;
using System.Windows.Shapes;
using SilverlightAppRevision2.Web;

namespace SilverlightAppRevision2
{
    public partial class MainPage : UserControl
    {
        DomainService1 dc = new DomainService1();

        public MainPage()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        private void productDomainDataSource_LoadedData(object sender, System.Windows.Controls.LoadedDataEventArgs e)
        {

            if (e.HasError)
            {
                System.Windows.MessageBox.Show(e.Error.ToString(), "Load Error", System.Windows.MessageBoxButton.OK);
                e.MarkErrorAsHandled();
            }
        }

        private void UserControl_Loaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            productDomainDataSource.DataContext = dc;
            refreshColorDataGrid();
        }

        private void refreshColorDataGrid()
        {
            // ******* GetProductByColorQuery is not in this database
            //string selColor = txtSearchColor.Text;
            //dc.Load(dc.GetProductByColorQuery(selColor), LoadOperation =>
            //{
            //    if (LoadOperation.HasError)
            //    {
            //        MessageBox.Show(LoadOperation.Error.Message);
            //        LoadOperation.MarkErrorAsHandled();
            //    }
            //    this.productDataGrid.DataContext = LoadOperation.Entities;
            //}, null);
        }


        private void ListBox_SelectionChanged(object sender, SelectionChangedEventArgs e)
        {
            //((Product)lbxProducts.SelectedItem).ProductID;
            //(int)lbxProducts.SelectedValue;
        }

        private void txtSearchColor_TextChanged(object sender, TextChangedEventArgs e)
        {
            dc.EntityContainer.GetEntitySet<Product>().Clear();
            refreshColorDataGrid();
        }
    }
}

**** Converter ****

using System;
using System.Net;
using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Controls;
using System.Windows.Documents;
using System.Windows.Ink;
using System.Windows.Input;
using System.Windows.Media;
using System.Windows.Media.Animation;
using System.Windows.Shapes;
using System.Windows.Data;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Windows.Media.Imaging;
using System.IO;
using Jillzhang.GifUtility;
using Silverlight.Samples;

namespace SilverlightAppRevision2.myClass
{
    public class myImageConverter : IValueConverter
    {
        public object Convert(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, System.Globalization.CultureInfo culture)
        {

            //At design time there won't be an image so show a place holder
            if (DesignerProperties.IsInDesignTool)
            {
                Rectangle rect = new Rectangle();
                rect.Width = 70d;
                rect.Height = 50d;
                rect.Fill = new SolidColorBrush(Colors.LightGray);
                WriteableBitmap bmp = new WriteableBitmap(rect, null);
                return bmp;
            }

            if (value != null)
            {
                byte[] bytearray = value as byte[];
                using (MemoryStream stream = new MemoryStream(bytearray))
                {
                    GifImage gif = GIFDecoder.Decode(stream);
                    if ((gif != null) && (gif.Frames.Count > 0))
                    {
                        return new WriteableBitmap(gif.Frames[0].Image);
                    }
                }
            }

            return null;
        }

        public object ConvertBack(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, System.Globalization.CultureInfo culture)
        {
            return null;
        }
    }
}

Answer 1

Silverlight is proprietary and requires a plugin to be installed. It is also available for a very limited number of platforms. Plugins like Flash and Silverlight are possibly doomed to go the way of the Dinosaurs when Windows 8 becomes mainstream and disables plugins by default in IE.

Silverlight is/was a decent platform but it was never given time or effort to mature and I think that it's life is very short lived as a result of MS concentrating efforts elsewhere and SL not being very platform independent or very robust.

If you're interested in developing applications on a very limited platform you may look at Silverlight or WinRT,

If you wish to develop applications for all types of platforms HTML4/HTML5/CSS/JavaScript, while greatly limited will be obvious potential choices.

Weight what you want to do, who you want to reach (intended audience) and how quickly you want to get there.

Answer 2

Hi,

Your questions should be asked in Sliverlight forum:

http://forums.silverlight.net/ 

Best Regards

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Knowledge will change the destiny.