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August 8, 2007
Wildermuth on Silverlight
Wildermuth on Silverlight: If you're in a discussion about Microsoft's upcoming video plugin, then here's a good article for the other party to read and understand first. Shawn Wildermuth is teaching Silverlight, but he lays out many of the issues clearly. I've added a little gloss, from a different perspective, in the extended entry here. But if you've got someone talking at you about Silverlight, then make sure they're familiar with Shawn's overview -- they'll be receptive to the message, and Shawn says useful things, in plain speech.
My take on some of the points:
"1. Silverlight Avoids Cross-Browser/OS Issues"
"Minimizes" might be a better term... Windows must be WinXP or better, for instance.
And the promised advantage with Silverlight is a reality today with Flash.
"2. Silverlight 1.1 Is the Real Story"
Developers are seeking a predictable logic engine, true. But the video player of Silverlight 1.0 is significant too, because owning a non-MS runtime is a necessary step in Microsoft's advertising strategy. Both constituencies have meaningful needs.
"3. Silverlight Uses Technologies Your Developers Already Know"
"If they already know .NET technologies" he adds. There's a slight putdown of ActionScript's actual generality in there. Apollo actually allows JavaScript developers to extend their skills.
Shawn's point is true, but only for the MS-only audience he's immediately addressing.
"4. Silverlight UI Is just Markup...Like HTML"
So's MXML. So?
(Serverside generation of binary files has been a reality for years... text may be a little easier for someone to code for the first time, but it's not a meaningful difference, I think.)
"5. Silverlight and Ajax Technologies Are Complementary"
Shawn agrees that it's useful to refresh in-browser data, without refreshing in-browser presentation. This was Flash for almost a decade; Ajax for four or so years.
(I suspect this point may be particularly tuned to Silverlight 1.0, rather than subsequent versions.)
"6. Silverlight Allows Developers and Designers to Work Together"
... so long as the designers change their habits and workflows to Microsoft... oh, and ditch the Mac too while you're at it....
"7. Silverlight Deliverables Are Not Atomic"
Linking and embedding are both useful file-packaging techniques.
"8. Silverlight Is New"
I agree that the future promise is distinct from the current reality.
"9. Silverlight XAML versus WPF XAML"
I'd agree that developing for the subset is an approachable way to learn development in the superset. This seems to counter point #3, however. Note the slowness of WPF adoption.
"10. Silverlight Is a Great Way to Learn XAML"
Sounds like #9, and I'd agree.
I have differences with some points, but I still recommend Shawn's analysis, if you ever happen to come into a discussion on the subject.
Posted by JohnDowdell at August 8, 2007 9:02 PM