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Microsoft Information Leaker ‘Exiting the Game’, But Not Without Spilling More Beans

A reliable source of Microsoft-centric information leaks, MSnerd has announced he is exiting the arena.  But before he goes, he's decided to answer any and all questions related to Microsoft and their place in the industry in a Q&A session on Reddit.  Of particular interest are the topics of Silverlight and potential Windows Phone 'Apollo' upgrades for 1st and 2nd generation Windows Phone users.

Silverlight

Rumors have been swirling for some time now that Silverlight might be on its way out of the Microsoft product line.  However, MSnerd says that Silverlight will continue to be utilized in three areas:

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Using the TabControl on Windows Phone 7

By default, the Windows Phone 7 SDK doesn't have a TabControl. It is a quite useful component already available in Silverlight and although it doesn't quite follow the Metro style, it can have its use. For example, some Android applications have a similar UI:

Adding Relevant Features

It is so very important to remember that relevant features sometimes need to be added to a phone to make it as fully operational as we would all like for it to be. Sadly, there are some people who don’t realize that they need to put this kind of time and effort in, and they may end up using a phone that doesn’t have all of the functionality that they deserve it. 

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Operating with image files in a Windows Phone 7 application

Images Add to the Experience

Adding images to something that you are working on in the Windows 7 phone can be a great way to appeal to people in a more full way. This is to say that many users of your programs and services will expect to see images contained within. 

Humans are a visual species, and it is always nice when the tools that we use provide us with the images that we have come to expect from the services that we use. 

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Using application settings in Windows Phone 7 apps

Many applications have user input that should be somehow preserved in order to be restored when the application starts again. This includes preferences, URLs, general information, and whatnot. As in any other .NET application, a Windows Phone 7 application supports application settings.

Although the concept is similar, the way it is implemented is a bit different compared to regular console applications, for example. The way you are used to access them is through Properties.Settings.Default or through the Application Properties dialog. Both of these options are not available in a Windows Phone 7 application.

Instead, you should use IsolatedStorageSettings.ApplicationSettings, which is a member of the System.IO.IsolatedStorage namespace. The application settings are stored in a local application-scoped file that can, in fact, be created via IsolatedStorageFile.GetUserStoreForApplication().CreateFile(path).