Userware has released OpenSilver 2.2, an update to the company’s open-source replacement for Microsoft’s Silverlight rich internet application framework. This release lets legacy Visual Studio LightSwitch applications run on modern browsers via a compatibility pack.
OpenSilver 2.2 and the LightSwitch Compatibility Pack were announced April 30. Developers can download OpenSilver 2.2 and sign up for a trial of LightSwitch Compatibility Pack. With the Userware updates, Lightswitch applications can be ported without rewriting them.
Discontinuation of the Silverlight plugin, which powered LightSwitch apps, presented enterprises with the dilemma of overhauling existing applications or risking operational failure, Userware said. The compatibility pack allows these applications to transition smoothly to modern web technologies such as HTML5 and WebAssembly.
Migrating a LightSwitch application is done by copying generated files from an existing LightSwitch project, then importing these files into a new OpenSilver project in the latest version of Visual Studio. By referencing the compatibility pack NuGet package in a project, developers then can compile the application’s front end into static files. These are then deployed across any web hosting environment.
In addition to unveiling OpenSilver 2.2, Userware offered a roadmap for OpenSilver. Planned features includea drag-and-drop XAML UI designer, .NET MAUI (Multi-platform App UI) integration, and support for XAML Hot Reload, CLI, Visual Studio Code, and Rider. Microsoft’s .NET MAUI framework enables the development of applications that can run across iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows platforms.
OpenSilver 2.2 follows the February release of OpenSilver 2.1, which added support for the F# programming language.