Posts Tagged web development
Why Silverlight in Web 2.0 ?
Silverlight is the next step towards user experience in enriching today’s 2.0 technology. Microsoft Silverlight is a web application framework with added interactivity features and supports .NET language and development tools. It is basically a programming model to develop and distribute Rich Internet Applications (RIAs). It is a free cross browser plug-in for delivering multimedia experiences for the web. It is considered as an Adobe flash alternative.
Silverlight supports Microsoft’s Common Language Runtime (CLR), which allows both designers and developers to run the .NET environment within a browser and do so in a relatively lightweight package
Silverlight enables web site development companies to design, develop, and deliver powerful applications and experiences for the web. It’s a browser plug-in that works with Mac OS, Windows, Linux, and devices. Best of all, it’s free, only 4MBs, and installs in ten seconds.
In silverlight applications, user interfaces are declared in XAML (Extensible Application Mark up Language) which is Microsoft’s XML-based language for creating a rich graphical user interface (GUI) and program using a subset of .NET framework
Silverlight applications can be hosted on any Web server accessible to the target audience. The two most commonly used Web servers are Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) and Apache.
Microsoft Silverlight powers rich application experiences and delivers high quality, interactive video across the Web and mobile devices through the most powerful runtime available on the Web. Microsoft Silverlight extends and amplifies your existing development skills, empowering you to build new types of applications for the Web regardless of target platform or browser.
Microsoft has also released a free service called “Silverlight Streaming” that developers can use to store up to 4 GB of content for a Silverlight application, addressing concerns about storage.
There are various versions of silverlight that includes Silverlight 1.0, Silverlight 1.1, silverlight 2 and the latest being released this month is silverlight 3.
Silverlight 1.0
Silverlight 1.0 is released for Mac and Windows. Silverlight 1.0 is focused on enabling rich media scenarios in a browser. You can only use java script to create silver light applications in 1.0 version.
Silverlight 1.1
Silverlight 1.1 will include a cross-platform version of the .NET Framework, and will enable a rich .NET development experience in the browser. It include a subset of the full .NET Framework base class library you use today, including support for collections, generics, IO, threading, globalization, networking (including sockets, web-services and REST support), HTML DOM, XML, local storage, and LINQ. You’ll be able to use any .NET language to develop a Silverlight application (VB, C#, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, Pascal, and more).
Silverlight 2
Silverlight 2 includes a cross-platform, cross-browser version of the .NET Framework, and enables a rich .NET development platform that runs in the browser. Developers can write Silverlight applications using any .NET language (including VB, C#, JavaScript, IronPython and IronRuby). Silverlight 2.0 is substantially faster than its previous version.
Silverlight 3
Silverlight 3 latest version of silverlight which just launched in the month of July is going to make it on top of the RIA platform of choice. The new version of Silverlight has better 3-D graphics support and the ability to offload graphics work to a GPU for a smoother, hardware-accelerated user experience.
Silverlight offers the power needed for smart client business apps, with the best deployment and navigation characteristics of the web.
Silverlight represents the future of development for most of us. Silverlight applications is going to make a difference to websites in a very real way in the near future.
Joomla and its Advantages
What is Joomla?
Joomla is an open source Content Management System (CMS), which enables you to build Web sites and powerful online applications. In August 2005, Joomla originated from the Mambo content management system, which included the source code, as well as the development team. As Joomla code is open source, so it’s easy adaptable for anyone to write modules and extensions of the system. Joomla allows web designers to develop websites by combining modules, and requires no programming knowledge. Joomla framework is written in PHP, as are the modules used to customize websites.
Why Joomla?
Why is joomla so popular among web developers? There are various reasons for its popularity depending upon the joomla users. Mainly, as an open source system Joomla is free, Secondly Joomla environment is very flexible which meets the needs of different user accordingly. Thirdly, it can be downloaded from the Internet absolutely free of cost and also, because of its ease-of-use, extensible and accessible environment it so popular.
Characteristics and Benefits of Joomla
- Completely database driven site engines. Each and every element in joomla is stored in a centralized database.
- The content that is displayed on the website can be scheduled as per the requirement of the web editors.
- Fully customizable layouts – there are thousands of templates to choose from so you can change the look and feel of your site without affecting the main content.
- Joomla supports multiple languages.
- News feeds from various websites can be gathered using the News Feed Manager available in Joomla.
- Runs on any platform including Windows, Linux, several Unix versions, and the Apple OS/X platform. It also depends on PHP and MySQL database to deliver dynamic content.
Apart from these characteristics, it provides many benefits such as
- Easy Management: Joomla is designed to be easy to install and set up even if you’re not a programmer. Once Joomla is installed, configured, it is simple for even non-technical users to add or edit content, update images, and to manage the critical data that makes your company or organization go.
- Joomla Components & Modules: The popularity and flexibility of Joomla modular architecture has made it possible to develop a wide range of components and associated modules. One can find nearly any component or module which meets our requirements and then just download and plug it into your content management system.
- Joomla Templates: There are number of web designers who develop and design Joomla Templates which can transform the look and feel of your web site. All you have to do it find a template you like, download it and apply it to your content management system (CMS). Many of the templates come with predefined module positions so you can display modules in various different positions.
- Joomla for Search Engine Optimization: Having your website found by the search engines (Google etc…) is vital in most cases for a successful website. Joomla has built-in SEO functionality. (SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization). The SEO tab in Global Configuration (in Administration backend) takes care of global SEO settings for your Joomla site. Joomla provides (SEF) search engine friendly URLs to ensure you get the highest search engine ranking position
Joomla is an internationally developed application, with many developers contributing to the growing movement by submitting their own web services components and plug-ins to the Joomla Extensions Directory. It is a platform where you can plug-in smaller applications as per the needs of the user. Hence, scalability is an important factor to be considered for organizations that requires CMS.
Joomla is used by organizations of all sizes for Public Web sites, Intranets, and Extranets and is supported by a community of thousands of users.
The real power of Joomla is found in the application architecture that enables thousands of web developers around the world to create powerful add-ons and extensions to this powerful content management system.
