Silverlight - where do you start (for free)?

Question

First I've read loads of posts and sites that recommend going to http://silverlight.net/GetStarted/ to get started but I do not have visual studio and I'm not going to purchase it just to 'maybe' learn some silverlight that I'm not going to be able to use for a little while.

The reason being that I've already installed visual studio and all the other things required during a quiet period of work, then another project came up and by the time I got back to thinking about silverlight the trial period has finished.

I have not done C# or XAML (mainly Java, AS3 & MXML, hence the lack of MS tools) but I'd like to look into silverlight when I'm quiet to create some test projects and to determine where I can use it if anywhere. Is there a toolset that will let me learn and use all that is required without purchasing the software (perhaps it would have a watermark like the flex datacharts used to have, unless you purchased them, maybe an eclipse plugin - although I imagine I'm being a bit optimistic here).

If there isn't such a thing then perhaps MS should look into this, Adobe recently let anyone unemployed/students etc to get flexbuilder for free to increase its uptake. That would be great is MS did something similar.

Answer 1

If you are a student, you can get professional Microsoft tools for free through the Dreamspark program. http://www.dreamspark.com

Answer 2

You can download Blend preview 3 and visual studio 2010 for free and use it. You have the tools and knowledge now ;-)

Check out Bizspark too.

Answer 3

Allegedly, you can now use one of Microsoft's free "Express" development systems to develop Silverlight apps.

http://www.bluerosegames.com/SilverlightBrassTacks/post/You-can-now-write-Silverlight-apps-in-Visual-Web-Developer-Express.aspx

Answer 4

In addition to the free-as-in-free-beer options from MS that other answers mention: if you only want to play around with Silverlight for now, consider trying Moonlight -- it may not yet be ready for production work, but nevertheless usable for learning purposes.

Answer 5

One place you can go is to the express web site on Microsoft.com. You can get free, albeit trimmed back, versions of the current release of Visual Studio and SQL Server there.

You can also get a trial version of Expression Blend 2. Blend is a design oriented tool for creating Silverlight applications.

You can also usually find betas of upcoming releases without much trouble.

Answer 6

Silverlight + Eclipse:

http://www.eclipse4sl.org/download/

And how to workaround Express for SL

http://www.informikon.com/blog/howto-silverlight-and-visual-studio-express.html

Good luck Braulio