Silverlight

Silverlight is a Microsoft framework designed to create and run rich internet applications and is available as a plugin for some browsers today.

Pros

• Lightweight plugin
• Alternative to Flash
• .NET framework-based
• Excellent tool for developers
• Support for popular file types

Cons

• No updates available
• Bugs in applications
• Security vulnerability

Much like an Adobe Flash alternative, Silverlight is an all-purpose plugin that facilitates streaming animations, graphics, live streams, and videos. It is based on the .NET framework of Microsoft and lets developers embed it into any tool supporting the .NET language. Moreover, it relies on XAML mark-up language for animations, vector graphics, and user interface.

Silverlight provides developers a simple way to enable rich animations using Windows-based formats rather than having to use Flash. Some of the most popular file formats it supports include WMA (Windows Media Audio), MPG3, WMV (Windows Media Video), H.264 video, and more. It eliminates the need for Windows-based players to enjoy content in these formats.

Throughout its history, Microsoft has introduced versions to support multiple platforms including Windows Mobile, Symbian, macOS, and Windows. The platform has now become obsolete and will soon end, but it is still available if you find it useful. It will no longer receive support or updates, so it should not be installed on a vulnerable system.

Final Verdict

Silverlight is a programmable browser plugin that supports audio and video, animation, and vector graphics to enable a rich internet experience on the web. It is based on a flexible model with support for multiple programming languages and integration with existing web applications to make it easy to use for developers.

Silverlight facilitates speedy delivery of high-quality media on all popular browsers running on Windows, macOS, and mobile platforms. Though Microsoft announces ending its support for Silverlight, it is still a useful tool for developers who want to test other applications on the .NET framework.