Silverlight from a distance of 12 or 13 years, and Ajax, and doing java development without using java

Silverlight from a distance of 12 or 13 years, and Ajax


I know, Silverlight is a response to Flash’s huge success, and its more recent challenge (AIR/Apollo). Also, there is google’s offline Google Gear (see my previous blogs). However, let’s face it, those things are fundamentally inferior technologies. They are nothing. They are just javascripts. The real thing? Of course, Java! Finally .Net is catching up with Java’s applet.

Yes, Silverlight is better: it is better looking (very important for business!), and it is better functional (much lighter than Java, so that it can combine both the app and the runtime – for users’ perspective, of course). Both features come from Flash. Note that Flash itself is just a genius-but-still-hack-style response to applet, nothing more. As a result, I would say that Silverlight is better than applet just in the same sense that .Net is better than java (OK, I am biased) – it is just some minor incremental improvements (OK, I am biased again!).

So, what is silverlight? It is just M$’s applet. Ya, it took M$ 12 or 13 years. Note ActiveX stuff does not count, they are not even portable, which is the major and core claim of Applet.

It sounds like M$ bashing, it is just the opposite (come on, I am pragmatic): because it is a genuine applet-improved, let’s use it. Forget about Ajax! Down with javascript (and java), long live C# (and Ruby). Further, we do not even need to mention Flash -- that is just a toy.

Seriously, for new projects, I will use Silverlight, instead of Ajax; just like I used applet many years ago. Silverlight and PIAB, it is now all come back and complete: doing java development without using java! Have fun!

This is our new architecture.


P.S. Why, why Silverlight is better than clickonce and ajax?

1. Clickonce need the .net runtime deployed, it is a huge headache. It can never really solved, and as result, it prevents developers from using new technologies. As a result, every competent developer should dislike it. It is our number one enemy.

2. Ajax: you have to duplicate the validation logic in javascript. I remember I commented it long time ago. I was surprised that people are just quiet about it! I cannot believe it! This is the real reason that I am so eager to jump on silverlight. Writing duplicate code is an insult, hence, it is the number two enemy.