The release of the OpenSilver 3.1 project has been published, continuing the Silverlight platform's development and allowing the creation of interactive web applications using C#, F#, XAML, and .NET technologies. Applications compiled with OpenSilver can run in any desktop and mobile browsers that support WebAssembly. Development can be done using Visual Studio and the VS Code editor, which supports working in Windows, macOS, and Linux. The project's code is written in C# and is distributed under the MIT license.
Initially, the OpenSilver project aimed to provide tools to extend the life of existing Silverlight applications after Microsoft ceased development and support for the Silverlight platform in 2021, as well as the discontinuation of browser plugin support. OpenSilver supports all the core features of the Silverlight engine, including full support for C# and XAML, as well as the implementation of most of the platform's API, sufficient for using C# libraries like Telerik UI, WCF RIA Services, PRISM, and MEF.
In its current form, OpenSilver has gone beyond being a layer for extending the life of Silverlight and can be viewed as an independent platform for creating new applications. For example, the project is developing an integrated development environment, providing support for new versions of C# and .NET platform, and ensuring compatibility with JavaScript libraries.
OpenSilver is based on the code of open projects Mono (mono-wasm) and Microsoft Blazor (part of ASP.NET Core), and for execution in the browser, it compiles applications into WebAssembly intermediate code. OpenSilver continues the development of the CSHTML5 project, which allows compiling C#/XAML/.NET applications into a JavaScript representation suitable for running in a browser, and expands its codebase with capabilities to compile C#/XAML/.NET into WebAssembly rather than JavaScript.
In the new version:
- The visual interface builder "XAML UI Designer" has been implemented, built on the Visual Studio Code (VS Code) code editor. Unlike the previously provided visual development environment based on the proprietary Visual Studio product, the new environment is cross-platform and supports not only Windows but also Linux and macOS. More than a hundred ready-made interface components are offered to developers, including various charts and data tables. An AI assistant is also integrated into the environment, allowing users to create and modify user interfaces using natural language requests.
- Improved capabilities for using the "WPF" (Windows Presentation Foundation) framework in applications designed for browser operation. Support for components such as DynamicResource, MultiBinding, and UniformGrid has been added. The ultimate goal of the project is to achieve full compatibility with WPF and provide the ability to run WPF-based applications on the web.
- Support for .NET 9 has been added.
- A new interface theme has been implemented, based on the design concepts of Material Design and Fluent Design. The theme is available in both dark and light versions. Tools for creating custom themes have been added.
Source: opennet.ru
