Xaps
One of my favorite new features of Silverlight 2 is the new Application model. Moving on from version 1.0, where JavaScript instantiation was the only way to start your app and you were restricted to the same origin as the web page, enter the Xap. The new packaging model, not only bundles your assets into one file enabling simpler deployment, it also enables application instantiation via the object tag. Plus, the Xap can live on a separate server than the web page, which enables the creation of embeddable applications with Silverlight.
- More information about Xaps and the new Application Model
Xbox Friends Watch Gamercard
In celebration of this functionality, I've expanded on the Xbox Friends Watch line and added a new Gamercard. Xbox.com currently offers a gamercard which renders a fairly static set of html and images which is embedded via an iframe. Using Silverlight for its interactivity, data stack and portability and the Xbox Gamertag Data Service I thought I would be able to enhance the experience as well as expose the status information provided by the Data Service.
Below is the result of my experiment and using the Gamercard page you can create a script to add the Gamercard to your site.
- Add the Gamercard to your page
Next Steps
My next post will include some of the technical details covering how the Gamercard was created and some of the techniques I used to work with Silverlight 2.
If you're interested in following the saga of the Xbox Friends Watch components you can subscribe to my XBF feed, follow XBF on Twitter or follow XBF on Facebook.
