Silverlight 2 has been Released!

Today I am very proud to announce that Silverlight 2 has been officially released! Grab it today at http://silverlight.net/GetStarted. This is a phenomenal release that provides a powerful solution to creating rich web application. At the link above you can install:

1. The official release version of Microsoft Silverlight 2 (Mac or Windows version).
2. The RC1 of the Visual Studio add-on for Visual Studio 2008 with SP1 or Visual Web Developer Express with SP1. Although this is an RC1 for tools, it does come with the official release version of Silverlight 2. You can expect the RTW version of tools very soon!
3. Microsoft Expression Blend 2 Service Pack 1.
4. Deep Zoom Composer.

Breaking Changes

Make certain to upgrade your beta 1 and beta 2 applications as they will not run under the release version of Silverlight 2. For a complete list of breaking changes see the Breaking Changes document. I also call out these breaking changes in my blog here for RC0. The #1 on my list is to update your MIME types and MinimumVersion:

#1 - Your Web Page.

If you have a project already developed for beta-1 or beta-2 you will need to make an adjustment to your web page that hosts the Silverlight control. For an HTML page change you will need to change the MIME type. To do this, open your HTML Page, change “x-silverlight-2-b1” or “application/x-silverlight-2-b2” to “application/x-silverlight-2”.

<object data="data:application/x-silverlight-2," type="application/x-silverlight-2" width="100%" height="100%">

If you use an ASPX based Page, open your ASPX page and change the Minimum Version to “2.0.30923.0”:

<asp:Silverlight ID="Xaml1" runat="server" Source="~/ClientBin/TextBlockTest.xap" MinimumVersion="2.0.31005.0" Width="100%" Height="100%" />

Highlights

Highlights of the new Silverlight 2 features from the Press Release:

• NET Framework support with a rich base class library. This is a compatible subset of the full .NET Framework.
  
  
• Powerful built-in controls. These include DataGrid, ListBox, Slider, ScrollViewer, Calendar controls and more.
  
  
• Advanced skinning and templating support. This makes it easy to customize the look and feel of an application.
  
  
• Deep zoom. This enables unparalleled interactivity and navigation of ultrahigh resolution imagery.
  
  
• Comprehensive networking support. Out-of-the-box support allows calling REST, WS*/SOAP, POX, RSS and standard
  HTTP services, enabling users to create applications that easily integrate with existing back-end systems.
  
  
• Expanded .NET Framework language support. Unlike other runtimes, Silverlight 2 supports a variety of programming languages, including Visual Basic, C#, JavaScript, IronPython and IronRuby, making it easier for developers already familiar with one of these languages to repurpose their existing skill sets.
  
  
• Advanced content protection. This now includes Silverlight DRM, powered by PlayReady, offering robust content protection for connected Silverlight experiences.
  
  
• Improved server scalability and expanded advertiser support. This includes new streaming and progressive download capabilities, superior search engine optimization techniques, and next-generation in-stream advertising support.
  
  
• Vibrant partner ecosystem. Visual Studio Industry Partners such as ComponentOne LLC, Infragistics Inc. and Telerik Inc. are providing products that further enhance developer capabilities when creating Silverlight applications using Visual Studio.
  
  
• Cross-platform and cross-browser support. This includes support for Mac, Windows and Linux in Firefox, Safari and Windows Internet Explorer.
  

For More Details

• ScottGu’s blog: http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/archive/2008/10/14/silverlight-2-released.aspx

Known issues and workarounds. (I will keep this section up-to-date if any other issues are encountered):

1. MediaElement – If you just store your media files (MP3’s, etc) in your web sites ClientBin folder you should now include them in your Silverlight application project as well. This is necessary to avoid a crash that could occur in Visual Studio.