Opensilver 2.0 Presented as an Independent Platform for Creating Interactive Web Applications
The Opensilver project presented Opensilver 2.0, continuing the development of the Silverlight platform. Opensilver 2.0 allows developers to create interactive web applications using C#, XAML, and .NET technologies. With WebASSEMBLY support, Silverlight applications compiled using OpenSilver can work in any desktop and mobile browsers. However, the compilation is currently only possible in Windows using the Visual Studio environment. The project code is written in C# and is available on GitHub under the MIT license.
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Transitioning from Silverlight to Opensilver
In 2021, Microsoft ceased development and support for the Silverlight platform in favor of using standard web technologies. Initially, the Opensilver project was created to provide tools for extending the life of existing Silverlight applications after Microsoft’s withdrawal of support and the discontinuation of plugin support in browsers. Opensilver fully supports the main capabilities of the Silverlight engine, including C# and XAML languages, as well as most of the platform APIs required for the use of popular libraries like Telerik UI, WCF Ria Services, Prism, and Mef.
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Becoming an Independent Platform
Opensilver has evolved beyond its initial purpose of extending the life of Silverlight. It is now considered an independent platform for creating new applications. The project is currently working on a special addition to the Visual Studio environment to support new versions of C# and the .NET platform. Opensilver also ensures compatibility with JavaScript libraries, expanding its code base capabilities to include C#/XAML/.NET in Webassembly instead of JavaScript.
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Integration with Other Frameworks
Opensilver integrates with popular frameworks like Blazor, React, and Angular. The addition of the “XAML for Blazor” component allows for the