As you’ve likely heard, Microsoft has released Silverlight 2. I was fortunate to have been involved along the way and getting to interact with many members of the various teams involved. I want to start by offering a gigantic congratulations to everybody involved. You guys did a great job moving things along with such speed an innovation! Having had a chance to see a glimpse of what went on behind the scenes I have a tremendous level of respect and admiration for that teams of great people that made this release possible It is truly an amazing  and passionate group, and every member should be proud. It seems like just yesterday that “Silverlight” was unveiled as the proper name or WPF/E. I can’t wait to see the future innovation.

Some of the key highlights of this release include:

•.NET Framework support with a rich base class library. This is a compatible subset of the full .NET Framework.

•Powerful built-in controls. These include DataGrid, ListBox, Slider, ScrollViewer, Calendar controls and more.

•Advanced skinning and templating support. This makes it easy to customize the look and feel of an application.

•Deep zoom. This enables unparalleled interactivity and navigation of ultrahigh resolution imagery.

•Comprehensive networking support. Out-of-the-box support allows calling REST, WS*/SOAP, POX, RSS and standard HTTP services, enabling users to create applications that easily integrate with existing back-end systems.

•Expanded .NET Framework language support. Unlike other runtimes, Silverlight 2 supports a variety of programming languages, including Visual Basic, C#, JavaScript, IronPython and IronRuby, making it easier for developers already familiar with one of these languages to repurpose their existing skill sets.

•Advanced content protection. This now includes Silverlight DRM, powered by PlayReady, offering robust content protection for connected Silverlight experiences.

•Improved server scalability and expanded advertiser support. This includes new streaming and progressive download capabilities, superior search engine optimization techniques, and next-generation in-stream advertising support.

•Cross-platform and cross-browser support. This includes support for Mac, Windows and Linux in Firefox, Safari and Windows Internet Explorer.

For me personally, Silverlight 2 represents a great opportunity to leverage my existing skill investment in .NET and extend beyond the server and desktop  into a richer browser experience. I’ve been working on updating the code for a number of new posts that I will be sharing in the days ahead, as well as updating some of my previous samples.

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