Silverlight is a browser plugin that allows developers to create rich multimedia web content within a managed .NET environment. It has gone through several versions with new features added at each stage. Silverlight 1.0 provided basic UI controls, media playback, and graphics but lacked managed code support. Silverlight 2.0 added a rich class library compatible with .NET, powerful built-in controls, and extensibility. Silverlight 3 improved graphics capabilities with 3D support, pixel shaders, and tighter integration with Expression Blend tools.

1. History of Silverlight Versions and its Features
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Silverlight is a browser plug-in that promotes a collaborative development environment
of rich online media contents that enable developers and designers alike to integrate
multimedia and graphics into web pages within the context of the managed
environment.
Top Silverlight features
IIS Smooth Streaming :
It enables you to deliver high definition streams that play very smoothly on any device
running Silverlight.
Pivot viewer :
It helps in easier interaction with massive database on the web in ways that are powerful,
fun and informative.
Sketch flow :
It revolutionizes the speed and accuracy with which you can demonstrate a vision for an
application.

2. 
Deep zoom :
It is the fastest and smoothest zooming technology on the Web.

Pixel shader :
This software based effects include blur and drop shadow that can be applied to any graphical
content for animation.

New controls :
Silverlight is packed with over 60 high-quality and customizable esternal controls such as
charting and media.

Media format extensibility :
With the new Raw AV pipeline, it can easily support a wide variety of third-party codes.

Perspective 3D graphics :
With this the users can rotate or scale live content in space without writing any additional code.

Skinning and styling :
It helps to create graphics and then use them to customize controls, such as the look of a
scrollbar.

3. − Silverlight versions :

Silverlight 1.0 :
This release was originally called WPF/E, an acronym for Windows Presentation Foundation/
Everywhere.
Key features:
Has core presentation framework, which is responsible for UI, interactivity and user input
Basic UI controls, media playback , graphics and animation and DOM integration
The main drawback of this release is no support for managed code.
Applications are written either in XAML or in a mix of XAML and JavaScript with DOM
(Document Object Model) to manipulate the user interface.

Silverlight 2.0 :
It was released in March 2008.
Key features :
Rich base class library: This is a compatible subset of the full .NET Framework. It supports
Reflection, Collections,Regular Expressions, String Handling, Data Access, LINQ etc…
Powerful built-in controls:
Extensible control base classes
Common controls: Textbox, Checkbox, Slider, RadioButton, TabControl, ScrollViewer,

4. 
Silverlight 3 :
This was released in July 9, 2009, mainly
providing improvements in graphics
capabilities, media management, application
development areas , and integration in the
designer’s Expression Blend 3 tools.
Key features :
Support for 3D graphics
Animation
Pixel shaders
Support theme application