Developer(s) | Userware |
---|---|
Initial release | March 9, 2020 |
Stable release | 2.2
/ April 30, 2024[1] |
Repository | github |
Written in | C# |
Operating system | Cross-platform |
Platform | .NET, WebAssembly |
Available in | English |
Type | Software framework |
License | MIT License |
Website | opensilver |
OpenSilver is an open-source framework designed to facilitate the development of rich internet applications (RIAs) using C# and XAML. It was developed as a successor to Microsoft Silverlight, enabling developers to migrate existing Silverlight applications to the web without rewriting their codebase. This framework is built on current web standards, including HTML5, CSS3, and WebAssembly, ensuring broad compatibility across modern web browsers regardless of the operating system without requiring plugins.
OpenSilver is a community-driven project that is freely available for anyone to use, modify, or improve. It operates under the MIT license. It is compatible with Microsoft's .NET platform, allowing developers to use C#, VB.NET,[2] F#,[3] and XAML for application development, thereby maintaining a familiar development experience for those from a Silverlight or WPF background. Over the past two years, OpenSilver's latest release, version 2.2,[4] has positioned itself as an advanced web framework designed for line-of-business applications.
In 2014, Userware, founded in 2007 and led by Giovanni Albani,[5] launched CSHTML5,[6] a precursor to becoming OpenSilver. This initiative began efforts to provide a contemporary alternative to Microsoft Silverlight in 2020 [7], focusing on open-source development. As technology progressed and the need for modern web application frameworks grew, CSHTML5 evolved, culminating in the creation of OpenSilver 1.0 in October 2021.[8] OpenSilver aimed to seamlessly integrate Silverlight's legacy capabilities with the demands of modern web development.
The inception of OpenSilver was motivated by the discontinuation of Silverlight and the need for a robust solution that allows legacy Silverlight applications to continue functioning in a modern web environment.[9] By providing a path forward for these applications, OpenSilver helps preserve the investment made in Silverlight-based projects while taking advantage of the advancements in web technology.
Version | Release Date | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|
Technology Preview | March 9, 2020 | / | |
Beta | September 13, 2021 | / | |
1.0 | October 12, 2021 | / | |
1.1 | October 4, 2022 | Support for third-party libraries, including Telerik UI for Silverlight. | |
2.0 | October 16, 2023 | Support for the VB.NET programming language. | |
2.1 | February 06, 2024 | Support for the F# programming language and integration of the Microsoft Silverlight Toolkit. | |
2.2 | April 23, 2024 | Support for Visual Studio LightSwitch. | |
3.0 | July 10, 2024 | AI-Powered UI designer and supports Windows, Linux, and Mac. |
OpenSilver integrates three main components:
OpenSilver's foundation is its ability to take .NET assemblies and XAML files (the building blocks of Silverlight applications) as input and use Blazor to compile them in WebAssembly.
OpenSilver offers development tools and a software development kit (SDK[10]) to aid application development. These tools include Visual Studio project templates and the OpenSilver Simulator, simplifying the workflow for developers accustomed to Silverlight or .NET environments.
Product name | Code name | Version number | .NET Framework | .NET (formerly .NET Core) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Visual Studio 2019 | Dev16 | 16.0 | Only to run the OpenSilver simulator application | 6.0 |
Visual Studio 2022 | Dev17 | 17.0 | Only to run the OpenSilver simulator application | 6.0, Recommended: 7.0, 8.0 |
NOTE: The roadmap for further development of OpenSilver and its ecosystem included developing CLI and supporting Visual Studio Code.
OpenSilver is licensed under the MIT License, which allows users to freely use, modify, distribute, and sell the software as long as they include the original copyright and permission notices.