The document compares and contrasts several Microsoft web technologies: - ASP.NET runs server-side and generates HTML sent to browsers, while Silverlight uses a browser plugin for rich client-side experiences. - WPF is for desktop apps, while Silverlight is for web apps and has fewer features than WPF. - HTML5 works across browsers but needs JavaScript, while Silverlight uses .NET and has richer media capabilities but requires its plugin. - Flash uses frames for animation while Silverlight uses time-based animation from WPF. Flash also has a more complex file format than Silverlight's XAML.

1. 1.Difference between ASP.NET and Silverlight
S.No ASP.NET Silverlight
1 ASP.NET is Microsoft's Silverlight is Microsoft technology for
technology for developing developing Rich Internet Applications.
dynamic web application using It is a browser plug-in that allows code
.NET languages like VB.NET or from .NET languages to be run in the
C#. The code is executed on the user’s browsers making it easier to
web server and the results are sent develop graphically rich applications
to the user’s browser. This is without having to constantly go back
comparable to the way a web site and forth between the browser and the
would be done with the PHP server. This is comparable to Adobe's
language. Flash technology.
2 ASP.NET uses AJAX to improve Unlike ASP.NET, the bulk of
performance in the browser by Silverlight processing occurs on the
making post backs and calls client machine thus decreasing server
between the browser and server resource utilization and improving the
asynchronously. ASP.NET AJAX Web experience on the client.
uses new built-in types and
controls and JavaScript. There is no concept of “Post back” in
Silverlight.
3 Asp.net is not platform Silverlight is delivered as a cross-
independent. platform and cross-browser plug-in
that exposes a programming
framework and features that are a
subset of the .NET Framework and
Windows Presentation Foundation
(WPF).
4 ASP.NET is a server framework Silverlight is a client-side framework
for building dynamic web geared at providing a rich user
applications. In Asp.net most experience and/or other capabilities
processing happens from the such as video streaming. In Silverlight
server side. most processing happens from the
client side.
5 Both ASP.NET and ASP.NET Silverlight is a free plug-in that
AJAX are heavily dependent upon encompasses a subset of functionality
the ASP.NET page event life from the .NET Framework and
cycle, are tightly coupled to the WPF.Silverlight runs in the browser as
server. a "sandbox" - a secure zone installed
into the browser that accommodates
Silverlight functionality while
completely protecting the host
platform from any possibly adverse
actions performed by Silverlight
6 Asp.net can be hosted in IIS. Silverlight can be hosted in IIS &
Apache.

2. 7 ASP.NET is Microsoft's Silverlight is Microsoft's competitor to
competitor to JSP/JSF and the Adobe Flash and Flex. Basically, a
successor to classic ASP standalone runtime running inside a
browser allowing animation, real-time
2D and vector rendering, etc
2.Difference between WPF and Silverlight
S.No WPF Silverlight
1 WPF is mainly used for creating Silverlight is prominent for creating
desktop applications. web based applications.
2 WPF extends support for The advanced features of Windows OS
advanced features of Windows namely 3D, complete documentation
OS. Few among those features support and hardware acceleration are
are: 3D, complete documentation not supported in Silverlight.
support and hardware
acceleration.
3 WPF includes extensive collection Silverlight does not support many data
of data binding properties. binding properties that are supported
by WPF. Few properties that are not
supported by Silverlight are
ElementName, RelativeSource,
UpdateSourceTrigger
4 In WPF, the custom markup The x:type is not available in
extensions are supported through Silverlight.
the markup extension support
x:type.
5 In WPF, the items that are added In Silverlight, the items that are added
to the control named TabControl to the control named TabControl will
will be wrapped automatically not be wrapped automatically within
within the TabItem. the TabItem.
6 WPF provides routed commands Silverlight does not provide routed
and all its controls are linked to commands or Command property.
commands using the property Silverlight provides only an interface
called Command. called ICommand. The developers
have to create classes that implement
this interface and the custom behavior
has to be defined within the class.
7 WPF offers input binding support. Silverlight does not offer input binding
support.

3. 3.Difference between HTML 5 and Silverlight
S.No HTML 5 Silverlight
1 HTML5 needs to integrate CSS3 On the other hand, Silverlight can be
and JavaScript to add its effects to programmed without getting error
web pages. prone due to usage of a statically typed
.Net language. It is easier to program
in Silver light.
2 While HTML5 is more resource Silverlight has a disadvantage in that it
friendly. This is the primary consumes a lot of hardware resources
reason which Apple has given for of our device
not including support for
technologies other than HTML5.
3 When HTML5 will be fully On the other hand, newer browsers
standardized it is likely to get would have to be compatible with
better support from all the newer older versions of Silverlight in order to
versions of different browsers. get the proper functioning.
4 HTML5 uses multiple codecs to Silver light always needs a plug-in for
run videos on the browsers that any case and would not even run on
are not considered in the Apple’s iPhone and iPad.
bloc.
5 HTML5 video quality is not that Silverlight offers good video quality
crisp as other competitors and its and also provide video content of
lack of ability to provide video various quality levels on various
content of various quality levels bandwidths to the user.
on various bandwidths to the user
is also a hindrance in getting the
message across to low data rate
users.
6 HTML5 pages, when designed, Silver light works just like a plug-in.
should be compatible with all the We can simply add the functionality to
browsers. for any browser.
7 While HTML5 being more tilted Silverlight application is not easy to
towards open source is a relatively decode
easy target of stealing code. The
divisions of JavaScript and HTML
are clearly marked so it is easy to
view and understand the code.
8 At present HTML5 doesn’t Silverlight supports microphone and
provide direct support for these web cam and thus renders a number of
devices. However there are some rich interactive applications.
difficult ways to get around this in
HTML5.

4. 9 HTML5, like its predecessors Silverlight is not popular in the SEO
facilitates search engines to crawl community. At present the content of
through its content and get Silverlight is not indexed by search
maximum exposure for the engines.Therefore,Silverlight is not
website.Therefore,HTML5 is suitable for online business websites or
suitable for online business those sites which require traffic
websites or those sites which through search engines.
require traffic through search
engines.
4.Difference between Flash and Silverlight
S.No Flash Silverlight
1 The animation model is frame Animation - Silverlight supports the
based. WPF animation model, which is not
only time based instead of frame
based, but lets you define the start and
end conditions and it will figure out
how to get there for you. No need to
deal with matrixes like in flash. Also
no need to calculate positions on
various frames. It just works.
2 Flash stores its shapes using Silverlight uses XAML. XAML is text
binary shape records.In order to based and can be output using a simple
write shape definitions, you will XML object.
need to either license a 3rd party
Flash file format SDK, or build
your own. It is not too difficult,
but it does require a bit of a
learning curve.
3 The debugging with flash is The debugging with Silverlight is
harder than Silverlight. simpler than with flash.
4 Dealing with fonts is fairly Silverlight lets you embed true type
complex with flash. font information directly into your
projects, and download that
information with the downloader
object.
5 Only Action Script can be used as Rich set of development languages are
programming tool in Flash. available for Silverlight. Developer
can use JavaScript as well as managed
code VB.Net, C# for Silverlight
development
6 ActionScript is an imperative XAML is declarative while
language, which brings itself the ActionScript is imperative.

5. pitfalls of imperative languages Using imperative languages to build
when compared with declarative UIs goes back to the early days of
languages. DOS and Windows, when developers
had to manage all of the API nuances
when interacting with graphical panes.
7 There is not any such service Web Services support for Silverlight
provided by Flash Streaming
8 Flash is not spread as across the Additional Support for mobile devices
vast majority of both desktops and with desktop and desktop
mobiles platforms, as compared to browsers:Silverlight is supported by
Silverlight. Flash requires Flash Windows mobile device as part of a
Lite preinstalled on mobile new service that the NBL have built.
devices. Silverlight applications and media
streaming can be run on a mobile
phone – so Silverlight even at this
stage is about more than just the
desktop browser and desktop market.
Silverlight may be seen soon on the
Symbian OS too.
9 Flash requires video codec to Silverlight does not require video
run .WMV videos. codec to run industry
standard videos like .WMV
10 Flash does not support scalable Silverlight supports scalable video
video formats from HD to mobile formats from HD to mobile.
11 Flash does not support Hardware- Silverlight supports Hardware-assisted
assisted editing and encoding editing and encoding solutions.
solutions.
12 Flash does not have XAML based Silverlight has XAML based
presentation layer for SEO. presentation layer for SEO.
13 Flash does not provide End-to-end Silverlight provides End-to-end server
server and application platform. and application platform.
14 Media server licensing is costlier Media server licensing is cheaper than
than Silverlight. flash.
15 Flash does not support Scalable Silverlight supports Scalable full
full screen video. screen video.
16 This limitation doesn’t exist with Silverlight is missing Linux support,
Flash. so people using Linux machine cannot
run it on their machines and will have
to stick to Windows and MAC OS
17 Flash Video turned Flash into a Silverlight will add to the use of the
mechanism for delivering media WMV file format.Using the WMV
with far more potential than any video format essentially makes

6. other solution that is .flv, no doubt Silverlight useless for the vast majority
Flash has also limitation to play of video websites such as YouTube. It
other video file. For that Flash cannot play .avi and .mov file.
required codex for that player
installed on Client machine.
18 Even flash is also lacking this Silverlight has no support for binding
area. Flash can read data source in to models,binding to data, or even
terms of XML or text from some connecting to network resources to
URL and can use it. Same thing obtain data.
silverlight also can read.
19 Flash has rich set of control Silverlight doesn't even have support
library. for things that should be considered a
stock part of any library such as
buttons, checkboxes, list boxes, list
views, grids,etc. Probably in future
release may Microsoft support it.
20 Flash test tools are already in Once the accessibility features are
place. provided with Silverlight versions, any
existing test tools that support driving
UI through Accessibility will be fully
enabled to automate Silverlight
applications
21 With some media file sound Cannot do sound processing.
processing can possible.
22 Flash allows creating XML Socket programming is not possible.
Socket object.
23 Can do that. Per pixel bitmap editing, bitmap filters
(convolution, color matrix, etc),bitmap
effects (drop shadow, blur,glow)
cannot be done.
24 Flash supports it. Webcam and Microphone support are
not provided by Silverlight
25 Inbuilt Upload/download support Built in file upload/download support
is there. is not available.
26 Flash has a long history that spans Silverlight is new in market and
more than ten years, and already required time to get acceptance in
got acceptance in market and market.
being the most successful browser
plug- in ,it is installed on over 90
percent of the world’s web
browsers
27 Size of flash component is Size of Silverlight component is larger.
smaller.

7. 28 Flash ships in single component It has found in practical
that is .swf.Images/video/sounds implementation of image animation, at
also incorporated in single some extent flickering occurs on
.swf package. image.