What is microsoft silverlight. Microsoft Silverlight, what is this program and is it needed? Video about what Microsoft silverlight is

Silverlight is responsible for displaying graphics and images in the user's browser, providing technology for displaying active content. The platform is also widely used to create widgets for Windows Vista and Windows Sidebar.

The technology implements playback of WMA, WMV and MP3 formats, but does not require installation of additional modules by the user, as was implemented in the Windows Media Player extension. Silverlight is widely used on the Internet due to the large number of possible interface tools that enhance the capabilities of the user and web developer.

Silverlght code can be written in any language from the .NET platform.

Silverlight is an alternative tool for creating active content on websites. In addition to this solution from Microsoft, technologies such as Adobe Flash, HTML 5 and JavaFX are widely used on the Internet.

Installing Silverlight for a user

To date, the latest version of the module is Silverlight 5, which is available on the official project website created by Microsoft. Go to the company's website to the plugin download section using the browser you are using. Click on the Download Now link and wait for the installer file to download.

Silverlight is supported on all modern Windows and MacOS desktop operating systems.

Run the downloaded file and in the window that appears, click on the “Install Now” button to begin installing the product. Close the Internet programs you are using and wait for the file unpacking operation to complete. Once the installation is complete, you will receive a corresponding notification on the screen. Click the "Close" button and launch your Internet browsing program. You can now play content on sites that use this content display technology.

Disadvantages of technology

There is a Silverlight version for phones running Windows Phone. However, Silverlight is not available for Android and iOS platforms, making the technology unusable on almost all mobile platforms. This means that applications written on it are available only to computer users.

Among the disadvantages of the technology is the inability of the plugin to work with systems other than Windows and OS X. Also, a program written in Silverlight will not start if the user does not have an Internet connection.

Having installed the operating system, the user is faced with the need to acquire all the necessary tools that he is used to in order to fully use the computer. What programs are usually installed: Total Commander - for working with files, Win Rar packer, Nero for working with CDs, antivirus, etc... And still, something is always missing. You're about to watch a movie, and suddenly you discover that you're missing some codecs. You are on the Internet, in order to view a small video you need to install the ubiquitous Adobe Flash; some sites will require Java to be present on your computer.

Microsoft developers are constantly working on the compatibility of the operating system with new software products created using other technologies and programming languages. It is no coincidence that they have developed and are improving a mechanism for constantly updating operating systems of the Windows family. On the official website you can find several dozen free applications that can easily replace similar applications from other manufacturers.

Silverlight is such a free application.– a software platform that expands the capabilities of Windows when working with vector graphics, animation, and multimedia in interactive mode. It is supported by all operating systems of the Windows family, Mac OS X and Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, FireFox, Safari browsers, as well as mobile devices running Windows Mobile 6 and Symbian (Series 60). The first version was released in 2006, its capabilities were subsequently expanded, and Silverlight 5.1 is currently distributed.

This platform not only significantly improves the performance of the operating system and browsers, but also opens up unlimited possibilities for interaction with other Microsoft applications - Visual Basic and C#, Visual Studio, ADO.NET, ASP.NET, Expression Blend. Some applications are freely available on the Microsoft website, and some can be tried in a 30-day demo mode. In order to really experience the capabilities of Silverlight 5.1. download and install Expression Blend 4.0, which consists of four tools Blend, Encoder, Web, Design.

Expression Blend– allows you to generate XAML codes for application programs much faster and easier than manual typing in Word Pad or Visual Studio.

Expression Encoder– a convenient tool for editing, importing, and transcoding video materials in popular formats WMV, AVI, WMA, MOV, MPEG and H264

Expression Web– a simple visual application with which you can create websites, the accompanying product Super Preview greatly simplifies testing them in various software tools.

Expression Design is a tool for working with vector graphics in JPEG, TIFF, PNG, GIF, etc. Allows you to create simple animated objects.

In this application, developers offer ready-made templates that can be a good help when creating your projects.

Finally, Silverlight 5 opens up new possibilities:

fully utilize the GPU in 3D graphics, which previously worked as an accelerator,
noticeable acceleration of video decoding using a video card,
high-quality media content management with automatic sound correction
adaptation of applications to 64-bit OS,
improved computer power management,
support for accelerating application launch,
Improved text clarity on the web.

Thus, Silverlight 5.0 platform equally useful for both programmers and ordinary users. At the very least, it will not harm your applications in any way, but on the contrary, they will work better.

Web technologies do not stand still, and everyone who has at least once simply configured a browser to suit their needs, or, moreover, has been interested in developing Internet applications, has come across Microsoft Silverlight. What is this product and what is it for?

When Silverlight appeared on the world market, it was immediately called a competitor to Adobe Flash, because first of all, silverlight is equipped with a plug-in to expand the capabilities of the Internet browser. But this program is of interest not only to users, but also to web application developers due to its wide application and varied functionality.

Silverlight is a cross-platform and cross-browser platform with which you can create interactive Internet applications, programs for PCs, and mobile devices. So, more about the advantages and disadvantages of the program below.

The user is becoming more demanding of the software, and developers are trying to reduce the user's time for setting up the system to a minimum. Why would anyone bother to download and install additional components, and even if they are built into the browser by default, they still affect performance?

The creators of HTML 5 decided to take this step, abandoning the need to embed videos in YouTube using a plugin. But what about Microsoft Silverlight? For example, in the google chrome browser it is installed along with the flash plugin by default. For the user, the main advantage of using this plugin, compared to Adobe Flash, is the lower system requirements, which allows you to work with the plugin even on a netbook. After all, on portable devices using Android OS versions 4 and higher, they still decided not to use the flash plugin.

Microsoft Silverlight - is this program necessary?

For browsers, Silverlight is available completely free for all supported browsers and platforms. The purpose of creating the plugin is to erase the boundaries between the variety of types of operating systems, browsers, types of device models, diagonal and resolutions of their displays. Also, with the help of Silverlight, it is possible to display high-quality graphics on the Internet, show the interactivity of applications, and emphasize not only the wide possibilities of their functionality, but also their design. This also applies not only to online applications.

All Silverlight applications can be written in any of the .net programming languages and all tools from Silverlight can be used to create .net solutions. Silverlight is also compatible with other products. For example, this program is also used in MS Office for more convenient development or synchronized work with the web.

The competition between Adobe flash and Microsoft Silverlight is also one of the eternal confrontations that we know, such as Apple iOS and Google Android... But still, few ordinary users thought about this choice, because these are just plugins. But if we are talking about the development and implementation of ideas, then everyone chooses the environment to which they have best adapted.

Thus, the functionality of the program is quite wide, but is not accepted by the majority of typical users, due to the fact that many simply do not need it all. We hope that you have understood the Microsoft Silverlight program and understood what it is.

Microsoft Silverlight often prompts you to install an update center. In fact, it is required for the operation of a variety of multimedia Internet applications. In fact, it is used on websites and Internet resources to play audio and video, to play GIFs and the like. In fact, in some ways this utility duplicates standard flash, which is used on many sites. The utility was developed by Microsoft as its competitor, but more safe.

Advantages and features of the application

The utility is installed in many browsers as a plugin and helps to play multimedia content from Internet resources. Advantage It may be that the utility was developed by Microsoft, and therefore will not harm the user’s computer and system. At the same time, on those sites that use this technology, the user will be able to see the full range of content provided by the developer, which can be considered an undoubted advantage.

Application development

In October 2008, the developer presented second version of my plugin, which greatly expanded its functionality. Working with a large amount of source data has become available, and tools for security control user. At the same time, it became possible to custom edit the source code and add new options; six months after the release of the version, the plugin had already been downloaded more than 300 million times.

Released in 2009 third option program in which several options were added:

3D graphics.
Improved animation.
New video and audio standards.
Using GPU accelerators.

IN fourth edition it became possible to transmit a video stream from the client to the server, and the ability to use a web camera and microphone was added. IN fifth version these functions have been expanded:

Ability to change playback speed.
Accelerated application launch.
Improved text readability.
Added support for 64-bit operating systems

Do you need Microsoft Silverlight on your computer?

The need for this plugin on the user’s device is a highly controversial point. Of course, this plugin will help the user see more fully the functionality that developers put on the site, however, do not forget that supportnpapi has been banned by most browsers for some time. Thus, in order to fully see all the available capabilities on Internet resources, the user will have to use outdated versions of browsers, and at the same time, they will have to prohibit updating them.

Don’t forget that if the functionality is not supported, it won’t be used by sites. In addition, although a little, the service consumes computer power and increases traffic, which for users not with the latest hardware can play a significant role. Of course, IE continues to support this service, so for those who use this browser, this problem may not be so relevant.

How to install silverlight

First, you need to go to the developer’s website and download the Microsoft Silverlight installer file from there: https://www.microsoft.com/ru-ru/SoftMicrosoft/silverlight.aspx. After this, all that remains is run the downloaded file and wait for the process to complete, then all you have to do is restart your browser and that’s it, the plugin is ready to work.

Enabling and disabling a plugin

After installing the silverlight plugin, you can enable and disable it as you wish. To do this, you just need to go to the appropriate settings item in your browser. In Chrome you should go to Extra options and go to extensions, here the required plugin will be found. In Firefox it will be located in the same place as all other plugins and its can be disabled or completely remove it from the system.

In Opera, first you need to enable developer menu.

After which you can go to a new menu item and find the section you are looking for.

Plugin update

If the user receives an update that the silverlight plugin is out of date, it needs to be updated. To configure updates, go to the plugin properties, then go to tabupdates. There are several modes available here: automatic installation, check and notification, complete shutdown.

The user will only have to select the item that is most convenient for him.

Removing Silverlight

To get started, you can simply go to the control panel, and from there proceed to install and remove programs. Here you need to find the utility, click on remove and wait complete removal from your computer, after which a reboot may be required. You can also use one of the utilities that specialize in software removal, for example revo uninstaller, this will help you avoid using the next step.

Cleaning your computer after removal

You can install one of the special programs that scan and clean your computer of debris and fix the registry, for example ccleaner, which is available on the official website https://www.ccleaner.com.

To begin with, you can use the first point and delete all unnecessary data from the computer, then go to the registry and click on search for problems. After finishing the analysis, click on fix, do backups files and wait for the process to complete.

Among Microsoft products there are programs that are unknown to a wide range of users, which does not make them less relevant and interesting. For example, do you know what Microsoft Silverlight is? Have you ever heard or come across the name, but did not delve into the nuances due to the low popularity of the product? This means that we offer you a short introduction to the program, and how relevant it is for you, you can decide after a short familiarization.

What is Microsoft Silverlight?

To immediately give a general idea of the purpose of the software without delving into professional terms, it should be mentioned that it is designed to support multimedia functions on a computer. That is, watching videos, listening to audio, supporting high-quality graphics, etc. – these are the main functions.

Users who have even the slightest idea about the most common software will probably immediately notice that the familiar Adobe Flash Player has similar capabilities. The development of Silverlight was initially positioned as an alternative to this program. The main feature of the Microsoft product is its additional features.

This program is not limited to media file support functions, although it copes with them very well, and has lower system requirements than its direct competitor. The main point is that in parallel this software can be very effectively used to create Internet applications, programs for mobile devices and computers.

Silverlight functionality and benefits:

full support for XAML and NET languages
compatible with any existing system - Windows, Linux or MacOS
support for playing video in high quality without using Windows Media Player
installing the plugin directly as a browser extension, which prevents virus infection
presence of pixel shader effects
cross-platform
light weight of the software (4 megabytes) and quick installation (up to 10 seconds)
free access to the program
the ability to create Internet applications and websites using the program
texts written using Silverlight are easily indexed and become available to search engines

If we summarize all the information, we can come to the following conclusions:

Firstly, Silverlight from Microsoft is a high-quality and effective alternative to Adobe Flash. Secondly, who will really be interested in this program are developers of web pages and Internet applications. It has a wide range of tools for these purposes, is distinguished by functionality, versatility and high compatibility with various platforms. Enjoy it for your health!