Introducing Silverlight 1.1

Working with Silverlight 1.1

Now that Silverlight 1.1 is well understood and the differences between it and Silverlight 1.0 and WPF are clear, we need to dive deeper into the framework. In this section, we’ll look at the inner workings of Silverlight 1.1, first reviewing the tools that have been designed to work with Silverlight, then reviewing the Silverlight design model, and finishing with a look at the Silverlight development model.

Tools

The next-generation tools being created by Microsoft have Silverlight development in mind. From the Expression products on the design side that make XAML editing a breeze to the new Visual Studio 2008 Silverlight integration, Microsoft is doing everything it can to make it easy for developers to adopt their new RIA framework. For many developers, these tools are already part of their normal development workflow, which is another key benefit Silverlight offers over traditional competitors like Flash.

Tools for Designers: Microsoft Expression Blend

The Expression suite of products is a relatively new offering from Microsoft, so these tools are less likely to exist in current workflows than their development counterparts. The Expression products were first introduced under codenames like “Acrylic,” “Quartz,” and “Sparkle” in September 2005, but since then Microsoft has made it clear that it is serious about creating tools for designers that rival long-time leader Adobe (which has acquired Macromedia since the Expression tools were originally introduced). ...