WPF introduced the concept of commanding, which Silverlight does not support. The interface ICommand exists in Silverlight so that classes can migrate without complications, but there is no CommandManager implementation that does actual commanding. For more information on commanding, see Commanding Overview in the WPF documentation.

Silverlight does not support simple inline XAML content. For example, you cannot specify content for a button by doing this: <Button>My button content</Button>. Instead, you must use the Content property like this: <Button Content="My button content" />.

There is no printing support or Flow Document support in Silverlight. See Printing Overview and Flow Document Overview in the WPF documentation.

Silverlight does not support dynamic resources. All resource references to keyed resources in XAML are static. For more information, see Resources Overview.

BitmapImage is the only available ImageSource in Silverlight.

In addition to the features previously listed, the following are supported in WPF but not in Silverlight:

• TileMode property for TileBrush objects.

• ValueConversion attribute.

• ITyped list, InstanceFactory, or BindingList(T).

• Electronic Documentation Management (EDM).

• MarkupExtension base class.

The basics of Silverlight and WPF data binding are the same. However, there are some data-binding features offered in WPF that are not available in Silverlight. Silverlight supports binding the DependencyProperty of a FrameworkElement to any CLR object. Silverlight does not provide any of the following:

• Datasets.

• ICustomTypeDescriptor, IListSource, or IBindingList.

• Binding directly to XML data.

• BindingMode.OneWayToSource binding.

• Notification for source and target updates.

• XPath binding.

• No CollectionViewCollectionViewSource or CollectionViewSource class.

  • For example, you cannot bind CustomerList/Name to TextBox1.Text-- the '/' syntax does not work.

  • There are no master details in XAML.

Silverlight also provides value converters and some support for data validation. For more information, see Data Binding.

WPF introduced the concept of triggers, which allowed making property changes or starting actions based on when events occur or properties change. Silverlight support for triggers is limited to using EventTrigger for the Loaded event and the BeginStoryboard action. However, some of the functionality provided by triggers can be accomplished by using the VisualStateManager. For more information, see Silverlight-Only Features later in this topic.

Creating styles is very similar in Silverlight and WPF. There are a few limitations in Silverlight:

• Silverlight does not support implicit styles applied using the TargetType attribute value.

For more information on creating styles in Silverlight, see Style and Using Controls and Dialog Boxes.

WPF introduced the concept of routed events, where an event can be handled by multiple handlers in the element tree instead of just the object that initiated the event. For more information about routed events, see Routed Events Overview in the WPF documentation.

Silverlight includes the concept of routed events for a small subset of events. However, Silverlight does not enable you to create a new routed event. In addition, Silverlight does not include Preview events or class-handling of routed events. Silverlight 3 does introduce a way to re-handle a routed event already marked handled, but only through code. For more information on routed events in Silverlight, see Events Overview for Silverlight.

3-D drawing support in Silverlight is limited. See 3-D Effects (Perspective Transforms) in the WPF documentation.

WPF and Silverlight have similar property systems that both use the concept of a dependency property. You can define a custom dependency property, but there are some important differences. For more information, see Custom Dependency Objects and Dependency Properties.

Silverlight does not include the concept of separate visual and logical trees as in WPF. In WPF, all visual elements derive from the Visual class, which does not exist in Silverlight. Silverlight does provide the VisualTreeHelper class in case you need to navigate the rendered objects in the object tree. For more information, see Silverlight Object Trees.

Silverlight does not include Freezable objects, which allow objects to be shared across threads and can improve performance. For more information, see Freezable Objects Overview in the WPF documentation.

Both WPF and Silverlight allow subpixel rendering, which can result in blurry text, images, and other displayed objects when antialiasing is applied to the object. For more information on subpixel rendering, see Pixel Snapping in WPF Applications in the WPF documentation. WPF handles subpixel rendering issues by using a feature called pixel snapping, which snaps lines to the nearest device pixel. Silverlight introduces the concept of layout rounding, which rounds object dimensions to the nearest whole integer. This feature can be turned off by setting the UseLayoutRounding flag to false. For more information, see Layout Rounding.

XAML processing differences between WPF and Silverlight are generally slight, but differences do exist. These are documented in a separate topic; see XAML Processing Differences Between Silverlight and WPF.

Silverlight introduces the VisualStateManager, which helps define and manage the visual behavior based on the control state. For example, "Pressed" might be defined as a button state when the button is clicked. By using VisualStateManager, you can define all the control states and the transitions between states in your control templates. For more information, see Customizing the Appearance of an Existing Control by Using a ControlTemplate.

Silverlight introduces the Deep Zoom feature, which allows zooming in and out of high-resolution images or collections of images. For more information, see Deep Zoom.

Silverlight and WPF share many controls. The Silverlight library includes a new DataGrid control. For a complete list of the controls in Silverlight, see Controls and Dialog Boxes.