Microsoft Hopes to Smother Flash with Sparkle

Écrit par
eWEEK EDITORS
eWEEK EDITORS
Published: Nov 5, 2003
Updated: Feb 2, 2021
1 minute read
eWeek Le contenu et les recommandations de produits sont indépendants de la rédaction. Nous pouvons gagner de l'argent lorsque vous cliquez sur des liens vers nos partenaires. En savoir plus

Watch out, Macromedia. Here comes Microsoft “Sparkle.”

According to press reports, Sparkle is an animation toolset that will likely emerge as part of the Longhorn wave of products/technologies. Some are describing Sparkle as a Macromedia “Flash killer.”

Microsoft officials declined to comment on Sparkle. But heres what Microsoft Watch uncovered:

Microsofts graphics subsystem for Longhorn is code-named “Avalon.” Avalon is designed to take the place of the USER/GDI graphics application programming interfaces (APIs) that are part of the current Win32 programming model.

Developers can write to Avalon using XAML, the Microsoft-authored eXtensible Application Markup Language. But for now, the only way to write XAML applications is to hand-code them.

Sparkle is the tool that will automate XAML application development. Said one source: Sparkle will let you create XAML and .Net applications.”

Another source said that Microsoft used Sparkle to develop the clock that was part of the “Sidebar” that is part of the Longhorn Aero interface.


Read the full story

on Microsoft Watch.

Discuss This in the eWEEK Forum

eWEEK EDITORS

eWeek editors publish top thought leaders and leading experts in emerging technology across a wide variety of Enterprise B2B sectors. Our focus is providing actionable information for today’s technology decision makers.

eWeek Logo

eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site's focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

Propriété de TechnologyAdvice. © 2026 TechnologyAdvice. Tous droits réservés

Divulgation publicitaire : Certains des produits qui apparaissent sur ce site proviennent d'entreprises dont TechnologyAdvice reçoit une compensation. Cette compensation peut influencer la façon dont les produits apparaissent sur ce site, notamment l'ordre dans lequel ils apparaissent. TechnologyAdvice n'inclut pas toutes les entreprises ou tous les types de produits disponibles sur le marché.