So I have decided to delve into Silverlight, Microsoft’s latest in web and application development software, and man is it cooooool.

No idea what Silverlight and Expression Blend and XAML are?

ok quick overview:

well I will start with XAML – its pronounced zammel.

Extensible Application Markup Language by Microsoft is a declarative XML-based language used to initialise structured values and objects. So, what this means is (in a very simple explanation) is:
When they made HTML it had preset tags, all you could do with HTML code was use the tags that the creators thought you might need, over the years we have made work around’s and things to be able to make much richer web pages but it was still restricted. XAML on the other hand has the ability for people to create new libraries of tags that people can use, so this means there can be endless possibilities to what you can create in XAML.

so what do I do with it?
Well using the Silverlight engine, you can create rich applications for use on the web that you have just created in XAML. It’s kind of like the Adobe Flash engine on steroids. You can have all your flash style things like cool buttons that move when clicked and what not, but the best part is having the power of the .NET framework behind your web page.

Expressions Blend:

Although this isn’t finished yet (still in betas) is the program used to bring the design of the web page or application and programming behind it together, it allows graphic designers and programs to work more closely together to create amazing stuff. Giving designers the ability to create great looking web-pages and other user interfaces and can be feature rich. some great examples of things you can draw within expressions blend in the Silverlight Pad demo. Make sure you zoom in on the vector images (roll your mouse wheel), because that are still actually vector images!!! HOW COOL!

Its still in very early stages at the moment, but its coming along very quick and will be very big…. very soon….

check out the power of this new platform with these demos:

Grand Piano: (use your 2 bottom rows to play it. ASDF and ZXCV)
http://silverlight.net/samples/1.0/Grand-Piano/default.html

Physics simulation: (hit the little Blow, wind, blow button to make it swing more)
http://odetocode.com/aimages/200705/verlet/default.htm

Silverlight Pad: (wait for the things to load at the side and then select them)
http://silverlight.net/samples/1.0/Silverlight-Pad/default.html

Deep Zoom Application: (zoom right in on the images also when you click an image it can have all the details of it and even video footage and things)
http://memorabilia.hardrock.com/

Want to have a crack at it?

Where to get started:

http://silverlight.net/GetStarted/

Good spot for some tutorials:

http://www.microsoft.com/Expression/kc/product.aspx?key=blend
Deep zoom tutorial: http://silverlight.net/learn/learnvideo.aspx?video=45278

SDK Download for Silver Light.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=4E03409A-77F3-413F-B108-1243C243C4FE&displaylang=en

Other good stuff to sink your silverlight teeth into:

http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/archive/tags/Silverlight/default.aspx

This is all very new to me and I am in no way an expert on the subject, this is what I have learnt in a very short amount of time, so if anything is misleading or wrong, please let me know and I will fix it up asap.