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Javascript and Silverlight are orthogonal. The first version of Silverlight was only programmable with Javascript. It wasn't until Silverlight 2 that C# was a s
by snprbob86 17y ago
Javascript and Silverlight are orthogonal. The first version of Silverlight was only programmable with Javascript. It wasn't until Silverlight 2 that C# was a supported language.
Microsoft is a huge company and the departments are loyal to their own bottom lines before each other's technology investments. The Office team clearly recognized that they needed to support alternative browsers in order to be competitive.
I believe the Office web apps use Silverlight for a few small, optional features (this may no longer be true).
- StrawberryFrog 17y agoSilverlight supports "Alternative browsers". In fact, it's easier to get the exact same rendered output on screen in Silverlight than in Javascript, since it's running the same engine in all browsers, just via different plugins.
- snprbob86 17y agoWhich, to my (probably outdated) knowledge, is why they used Silverlight for print preview. The key here though is that I can log in to any random machine with any common browser and use the primary features of Office. Google Docs offers me the ability to read a spreadsheet on a kiosk in a hotel, so Office web better do it too. If Silverlight was required, that wouldn't be realistic until it achieves Flash-level or greater adoption.