OpenSilver 3.1 has been released, continuing the development of the Silverlight platform and enabling the creation of interactive web applications using C#, F#, XAML, and .NET technologies. Silverlight applications compiled with OpenSilver can run in any desktop and mobile browser that supports WebAssembly. Development can be done using the Visual Studio environment and the VS Code code editor, which supports Windows, macOS и LinuxThe project code is written in C# and is distributed under the MIT license.
The OpenSilver project was originally intended to provide tools to extend the life of existing Silverlight applications after Microsoft ceased development and maintenance of the Silverlight platform in 2021, and removed support for its browser plug-ins. OpenSilver supports all core features of the Silverlight engine, including full support for the C# and XAML languages, and implements most of the platform's API, enough to use C# libraries such as Telerik UI, WCF RIA Services, PRISM, and MEF.
In its current form, OpenSilver has gone beyond the framework of a layer for extending the life of Silverlight and can be considered as an independent platform for creating new applications. For example, the project is developing a development environment, providing support for new versions of the C# language and the .NET platform, and providing compatibility with JavaScript libraries.
OpenSilver is based on code from open-source projects Mono (mono-wasm) and Microsoft Blazor (part of ASP.NET Core), and applications are compiled into WebAssembly intermediate code for execution in the browser. OpenSilver continues the development of the CSHTML5 project, which allows C#/XAML/.NET applications to be compiled into a JavaScript representation suitable for running in the browser, and extends its codebase with the ability to compile C#/XAML/.NET to WebAssembly rather than JavaScript.
In the new version:
- A visual interface builder, "XAML UI Designer," has been implemented, based on the Visual Studio Code (VS Code) code editor. Unlike the previously provided visual development environment, which was based on the proprietary Visual Studio product, the new environment is cross-platform and, in addition to Windows supports the Linux и macOSOver one hundred ready-made interface components are available for developers, including various diagrams and tabular forms for working with data. The environment also includes a built-in AI assistant, allowing users to create and modify user interfaces using natural language input.
- Improved capabilities for using the WPF framework (Windows Presentation Foundation) in browser-based applications. Support for components such as DynamicResource, MultiBinding, and UniformGrid has been added. The project's ultimate goal is to achieve full compatibility with WPF and enable WPF-based applications to run on the web.
- Added support for the .NET 9 platform.
- A new interface design theme has been implemented, based on the design concepts of Material Design and Fluent Design. The theme is available in dark and light versions. Tools for creating your own design themes have been added.
Source: opennet.ru
