.xap File

Question

Hi Friend What is the .xap file inside ClientBin folder of consuming silverlight application ?

Jignesh Trivedi · Answer

hi .xap file is the compressed output file for the Silverlight application. The .xap file includes AppManifest.xaml compiled output assembly of the Silverlight project (.dll) and any other resource files referred by the Silverlight application. Web pages like .aspx files and .html files use the Silverlight components by loading the .xap files using the tag in the HTML or by using tag in the ASP.NET pages. .xap files use the standard .zip compression algorithm to minimize client download size. hope this help.

Satyapriya Nayak · Answer

Hi Shubham Following is a very good FAQ about the .xap posted on asp.net page. What does XAP mean? XAP (pronounced ZAP) is the file extension for a Silverlight-based application package (.xap). This file contains the compressed assemblies and resources of a Silverlight 2 application. What is a .xap file? A .xap file is a Silverlight-based application package (.xap) that is generated when the Silverlight project is built. Why is XAP important? Tools such as Visual Studio 2008 with the Microsoft Silverlight Tools Beta 2 for Visual Studio 2008 allow you to create Silverlight applications that are heavily client based using managed code. You can use managed code such as C# or Visual Basic and benefit by using the tools that you are used to working with. How does XAP work? Once you have created the .xap file (explained below) the Silverlight 2 plug-in downloads the file and runs it in a separate work space. How do I use a .xap file? A .xap file is used to contain and transfer the assemblies and resources of a managed code application. This managed code application must be run within the Silverlight 2 browser plug-in. Please refer the below link http://forums.asp.net/t/1277554.aspx Thanks