IronPython & Silverlight Part IV: Using Silverlight 4

The default Silverlight runtime version of programs created with IronPython 2.7 Beta 1 is "2.0.31005.0". If you want to take advantage of Silverlight 4 features you have to make a small change to AppManifest.xaml.


For example, say that you want to add a RichTextBox control(available on Silverlight 4).

<UserControl x:Class="System.Windows.Controls.UserControl"
 xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/client/2007"
 xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
        xmlns:wbc="clr-namespace:System.Windows.Controls">
  <StackPanel Width="300" x:Name="layout_root" Background="White">
     <wbc:RichTextBox x:Name="rtb" />
     <Button x:Name="my_button" Content="Ok"/>
  </StackPanel>
</UserControl>

And

from System.Windows import Application
from System.Windows.Controls import UserControl
import System


class App:

  def __init__(self):
    self.theText = """
this
is
some
text"""


    self.root = Application.Current.LoadRootVisual(UserControl(), "app.xaml")
    self.root.rtb.Selection.Select(self.root.rtb.ContentStart, self.root.rtb.ContentEnd)
    self.root.rtb.Selection.Text = self.theText

theApp = App()

In order to make this program work you have to add the AppManifest.xaml to the app/ folder of your application. You can get a copy of this file using chiron.exe /m :

By default this file looks like this:

<Deployment xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/client/2007/deployment" 
            xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml" 
            RuntimeVersion="2.0.31005.0" 
            EntryPointAssembly="Microsoft.Scripting.Silverlight" 
            EntryPointType="Microsoft.Scripting.Silverlight.DynamicApplication" 
            ExternalCallersFromCrossDomain="ScriptableOnly">
  <!-- Add assembly references here -->
  <Deployment.Parts>
    <!-- In the XAP -->
    <!-- <AssemblyPart Source="Foo.dll" /> -->
    <!-- Outside the XAP, same domain -->
    <!-- <AssemblyPart Source="/Foo.dll" /> -->
    <!-- Outside the XAP, different domain -->
    <!-- <AssemblyPart Source="http://bar.com/Foo.dll" /> -->
    <AssemblyPart Source="Microsoft.Scripting.Silverlight.dll" />
    <AssemblyPart Source="System.Numerics.dll" />
    <AssemblyPart Source="Microsoft.Scripting.dll" />
    <AssemblyPart Source="Microsoft.Dynamic.dll" />
    <AssemblyPart Source="IronPython.dll" />
    <AssemblyPart Source="IronPython.Modules.dll" />
  </Deployment.Parts>
  <!-- Add transparent platform extensions (.slvx) references here -->
  <Deployment.ExternalParts>
    <!-- Example -->
    <!-- <ExtensionPart Source="http://bar.com/v1/Foo.slvx" /> -->
  </Deployment.ExternalParts>
...
</Deployment>

After copying this file to the app/ folder you have to change the RuntimeVersion attribute value to "4.0.50401.0".

Now to can run the application and have access to Silverlight 4 features.