Ajax vs Microsoft Silverlight
Ajax is acronym for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML. It is a collection of web development methods used in client side to develop interactive web pages. Microsoft Silverlight is a free browser plug-in which enables full interactive multimedia experiences and rich business applications at client side. Silverlight is based on .NET framework common language runtime (CLR) that enables to execute the same complied code to run on server as well as client side. Both Ajax and Microsoft Silverlight are client based methods or applications enriching multimedia and business functionalities at client side to increase extreme user experiences.
What is Ajax?
Ajax is a programming model that supports a number of different software tools such as HTML, JavaScript and XML and actually stands for asynchronous java script and xml. It is used to create applications that run in a browser directly to the user. Initially it was used extensively only with the Internet Explorer browser from Microsoft but revisions since have enabled it to work with most other common browsers. The main difference with Ajax to its earlier counterparts such as HTML is that it does not require a plug-in and allows applications to work directly or embedded within the browser itself. It uses an engine that interacts between the browser and the user which allows for different parts of the webpage to be updated without having to reload the entire page on each interaction with the user. Ajax is not a re-sellable product but is freely available in the open source communities.
What is Microsoft Silverlight?
Silverlight is a technology that is based on the .NET framework produced and supported by Microsoft and is typically referred to as Microsoft Silverlight. It is delivered as a plug-in to your browser supporting different types of media including a rich interactive experience through both graphics and video. It is also cross platform as well as available across different types of browsers including some of the most common ones in Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari. It is this cross platform and cross browser ability that has allowed software developers around the world to integrate applications using Silverlight into the browser. It is also a major shift in direction for Microsoft in allowing their software to run on their competitor’s platforms. Silverlight 4.0 was released in 2010 with a host of new features such as support for webcam, microphone and integration with the Chrome browser from Google as well as support for multicast networking in streaming media and television.
Difference between AJAX and Microsoft SILVERLIGHT
Ajax is more of a concept rather than an actual technology on its own and is used almost exclusively within the Internet Explorer browser whereas Silverlight is cross platform and cross browser allowing for a much higher level of integration into the OS X world and online communities. While Ajax is open source code, Silverlight is a product from Microsoft and has been used to give them leverage over its competitors from both Apple and Google by allowing full integration into their applications. Silverlight is aimed primarily at the social media online content on the web through images and videos while Ajax is more of a tool for interactive applications through the browser. While aimed at different audiences, both technologies have their uses in today’s world on the web and can be used together to produce an interactive media rich user experience.