Could Silverlight be used for the same things as jQuery, or are they intended for different things?
For example, vb.net could be used for the same stuff as C# while C# is intended for different things than what JavaScript is. Is Silverlight and jQuery like vb.net and C#, or more like C# and JavaScript?
It's not the 'same' thing.
It's more like C# and Javascript.
jQuery is a javascript framework that helps with writing javascript
but Silverlight is an interactive media technology of its own... which is... IMO... totally different.
Interesting riddle. No, Silverlight and jQuery are two different things entirely. If you want analogies, Silverlight is more akin to Adobe Flash. jQuery is a Javascript library akin to Prototype, Dojo, etc.
It's more like the difference between C# and JavaScript. Silverlight and jQuery at the high level are intended for similar things - rich user interaction in a web browser. However, Silverlight can do some more interesting things by using the .NET framework, and allows you to muck around with with WPF so you can add 3D rendering, advanced printing, playing back movies, DRM (ugh), and more things that jQuery just can't do yet. That said, I have no doubt that JavaScript and JS frameworks like jQuery will eventually catch up to most of the things Silverlight can do.
Another thing to mention is that Silverlight requires users to download and install a browser plugin, while jQuery works with any modern JavaScript-enabled browser. I think Silverlight is more comparable to Adobe Flash than to jQuery.
Silverlight comes closer to being like Flash, than JScript.
Both Flash & Silverlight are browser plug-ins that can be used to create rich interfaces. Both use proprietary technology & formats.
You can use them for the same tasks. You could make interactive web applications in jQuery or flash. There are advantages to each, it depends on if you need flash/silverlight or not. If you can achieve your goal without resorting to flash then you should use just JS. Some people might see it the other way around and feel that javascript is a resort and flash/silverlight is the primary method of creating interactive content. Personally, I hear that silverlight takes much longer for development than flash/flex and also has a much smaller userbase (understandably). With both flash and flex, you will get those people who haven't downloaded flash yet. With javascript you will get people who have odd browsers that have trouble running it. It just depends on what your needs are.
Think of Silverlight as "Flash.NET" -- a way to write a .NET app that runs within its own box within the browser.
Expanding on what been said, you may as well try comparing assembler with photoshop. On the reasoning both can be used to generate files.
They really are totally different technologies.
Javascript relies soley on the underlying page structure and DOM augmentation to yield results, Silverlight is like Flash, and tends more towards being just a "window" in the page with its own canvas etc.
Trying to compare silverlight with jQuery however, which is a library for javascript, its just nonsensical.
They're so incomparable, I'm having difficulty finding 2 other things that are equally incomparable. You may as well ask, "which is better, a house, or a slice of cheese".
Silverlight can be used to create rich interactive media, and is more akin to Flash than anything else. jQuery is a javascript library.
This morning a post went up on Scott Guthrie's blog indicating that Microsoft will be shipping the standard jQuery library with Visual Studio from now on, and defining intellisense for it. That's exciting news for the future of jQuery and Silverlight, not as competing technologies but as complimentary ones!
Saying that Silverlight is "just like Flash" doesn't answer the question.
Ok, how about, can (Flash|Silverlight) produce the same results javascript?
More to the point, with today's browsers, is there any visual effect which cannot be rendered in Javascript as easily as (Flash|Silverlight)?
Are there speed and performance benefits in using (Flash|Silverlight) for things like drop down menus and animation versus javascript?
Are there difficulties in using (Flash|Silverlight) when it comes to tailoring highly data rich sites that make it easier to use code rather than designer type interface?
jQuery is for manipulating the HTML DOM and carry out complex tasks (like finding controls, animating, etc.) in a easier way..... jQuery is completely different from Silverlight. Silverlight is a client side UI language similar to Java Applets, Adobe Flex, etc.
If you are looking for a similar tool (like jQuery) for Silverlight, try XamlQuery. You can manipulate the Silverlight DOM using XamlQuery and carry out most of the tasks that can be carried out using jQuery. But remember, jQuery is for JavaScript but XamlQuery is for Silverlight.