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Future of ArcGIS API for Silverligtht?

Ryan_Galbraith

I just heard that Microsoft is dropping support for Silverlight. Is this true? What is the future support for Silverlight in the ArcGIS API?

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JenniferNery

This thread is related: http://forums.arcgis.com/threads/33931-Why-Silverlight

Anonymous User

Original User: copeland

I just heard that Microsoft is dropping support for Silverlight. Is this true?

No. This is not true.

The 'Silverlight is Dead' hysteria has been around for quite a while. This has grown somewhat lately with the recent announcements around Windows 8 Metro UI and even more recent announcements about Flash Mobile. In the opinion of many, Silverlight has a place building line of business applications in a way that HTML can't match today and will not match for some time (if ever). But the market may decide differently, we don't yet know. Regardless of the future of Silverlight (which will at least go through yet unreleased version 5 if not more), it does seem clear that XAML development (Windows Phone, XBox, Metro UI in addition to Silverlight and WPF) is strong and will continue to be that way.

Ryan_Galbraith

From my programmer buddy:

"There is no announcement from Microsoft saying that it is dead. However, future directions from MS that were announced in developer conferences seem to indicate Silverlight is being changed and de-emphasized and will cease to exist in its present form.

Some of the underpinnings of Silverlight (XAML, C#) will live on in Windows 8 as they are now first class citizens that can be used to develop Windows 8 Metro style apps. It is expected that they can also be used to create Windows Phone and XBox360 apps.

However, the idea of Silverlight being a cross platform browser plugin seem to be dead. The Metro based IE in windows 8 will not even support plugins. There is no mention of a Mac runtime. In fact, the download for the 5 RC is windows only. http://www.silverlight.net/downloads

https://www.google.com/search?aq=f&hl=en&gl=us&tbm=nws&btnmeta_news_search=1&q=silverlight

http://www.theverge.com/2011/11/9/2548975/microsoft-may-halt-development-work-on-silverlight-after-next-release

http://www.neowin.net/news/former-microsoft-pm-silverlight-is-dead

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/will-there-be-a-silverlight-6-and-does-it-matter/11180

http://www.readwriteweb.com/hack/2011/09/build-2011-what-is-winrt-and-i.php

http://www.electronista.com/articles/11/11/09/microosft.may.axe.silverlight.after.major.release/

So, while the technology that built Silverlight is not dead, the idea of a cross platform browser plugin / Flash competitor certainly seems to be headed for an early grave. Will it matter for many developers? For windows developers, this might even be a good thing as WinRT / XAML can be used to build fantastic apps. For the developer hoping for cross platform apps or browser hosted plugin style apps, they better brush up on their HTML5 / JavaScript."

Anonymous User

Original User: scottprindle

The link below will shed a little light on the future of the different APIs:

http://blogs.esri.com/Dev/blogs/arcgisserver/archive/2011/11/17/Some-thoughts-on-the-direction-of-the-ArcGIS-web-mapping-APIs-_2800_JavaScript_2C00_-Flex_2C00_-and-Silverlight_2900_.aspx

DerekLaw

Hi Ryan,

What is the future support for Silverlight in the ArcGIS API?

Esri will continue to support the ArcGIS API for Silverlight for the foreseeable future.

We just released v2.3, see blog post,
Version 2.3 of the ArcGIS API for Silverlight, WPF, and Windows Phone is available!

And v3.0 is currently in beta, available from the Esri Beta Community Site.

Hope this helps,

Anonymous User

Original User: rdg129

....good to know. I didn't know this was talked about before. I used the search function but didn't use the right keywords.

I really like javascript myself - I just work with a non-gis person who was really shocked to hear about all this development in Flex and Silverlight when in his "circles" of scripting and web site design, people are moving out of it. Thanks for all the great links.

khuramshehzad

only important thing is this , if microsoft decided to stop working on the SL for the web , how long
dependets will follow silver light. when microsoft decided to stop VBA , after few years now
ESRI also decided to stop support VBA, after desktop 10.1. version. ESRI went for Arcpy at the place of VBA.

Khuram Shehzad
Riyadh

Anonymous User

Original User: SharpGIS

Microsoft dropped support for vba so it was only natural to follow. Microsoft has announced that Silverlight will be supported until at least 2021, so you don't have to worry about that for now.
For everyone on this thread:despite the rumors this IS just rumors and we JUST got a brand new awesome version of Silverlight. If Silverlight was a good idea for you yesterday its a good idea today. Nothing here has changed at all. It has the exact same pros (rapid development) and cons (a browser plugin) as it always have had.

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