Silverlight xaml TextBlock.Text with CDATA not showing up at runtime?

Question

The following xaml causes the text "Activate a test to the left." to be visible at run-time and at design-time (in Vs2010):

<TextBlock TextWrapping="Wrap">
    <TextBlock.Text>Activate a test to the left.</TextBlock.Text>
</TextBlock>

The following shows nothing at run-time, but the text IS visible at design-time:

<TextBlock TextWrapping="Wrap">
    <TextBlock.Text><![CDATA[Activate a test to the left.]]></TextBlock.Text>
</TextBlock>

What's the problem?

Answer 1

The designer view can often be different from what you actually see at runtime. The designer does not run all the code just some of it, it makes some heuristic assumptions and its based on WPF not Silverlight.

So especially for Silveright apps what you see is not necessarily what you get.

Evidentently the Silverlight Xaml parser doesn't take to kindly to the CDATA section. Why would you do that anyway?

Answer 2

Here is an extensive discussion on this very topic:

http://forums.silverlight.net/forums/t/187623.aspx