Silverlight 4 for Dummies

EBook Description: Silverlight is a Web browser plugin that enables functions such as animation, streaming media, vector graphics, and audio-video playback that characterize rich Internet applications. It only requires a simple download, after which most end-users are not even aware that it's running. This helpful guide covers everything you need to know in order to start creating applications in Silverlight 4 and then moves on to key topics such as controls, data binding, skinning, using Visual Studio tools, and more. Whether you have just the most basic programming skills and are interested in learning to develop Silverlight apps or you are an experienced developer looking for an understandable guide on the newest version of Silverlight, Microsoft Silverlight 4 For Dummies is ideal for a wide audience. The Silverlight plugin enables animation, streaming media, vector graphics, and audio-video playback Shows you how to create applications in Silverlight 4 Covers important Silverlight topics including controls, data binding, skinning, animations, and more Discusses how to best use the offering of tools from Visual Studio Get enlightened and start creating Silverlight 4 applications with this book by your side.

Get started building your own apps and utilities for Windows Phone 7�expertly guided by award-winning author Charles Petzold. Focusing on Silverlight for Windows Phone 7 and the C# language, you�ll learn how to extend your existing skills to this new mobile platform�mastering the core tools and techniques you need to get productive quickly. As always, Charles brings a unique combination of pragmatism and inspiration to his instruction�along with a wealth of hands-on examples.

NOTE: This book is the printed, Silverlight-focused edition of Programming Windows Phone 7, which is available as a free eBook from the Microsoft Download Center. A Microsoft XNA�-focused edition is also available for sale in print (ISBN 978-0-7356-5669-7). The Microsoft eBook covers both Silverlight and XNA in one volume.

Discover how to:

Customize page navigation and layout
Know when to use code vs. XAML markup
Capture and embed bitmaps, balancing performance issues
Support multi-touch input�including tap, drag, flick, and pinch
Work with accelerometer and location services
Experiment with panoramic and pivot controls
Create effects using built-in or custom animations
Manage state, tombstoning, data-binding, and storage
Write your own templates and custom controls
Test-drive your app on Windows Phone Emulator

Pro WPF And Silverlight MVVM

WPF and Silverlight are unlike any other user interface (UI) technologies. They have been built to a new paradigm that�if harnessed correctly�can yield unprecedented power and performance. This book shows you how to control that power to produce clean, testable, maintainable code.
It is now recognized that any non-trivial WPF or Silverlight application needs be designed around the Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM) design pattern in order to unlock the technology�s full data-binding potential.
However, the knowledge of how to do this is missing from a large part of the development community�even amongst those who work with WPF and Silverlight on a daily basis. Too often there is a reliance on programmatic interaction between controls and not enough trust in the technologies� data-binding capabilities. This leads to a clouding of design values and an inevitable loss of performance, scalability, and maintainability throughout the application.

Introducing Silverlight 4

Introducing Silverlight 4 brings you up to speed with the latest version of Silverlight quickly and efficiently. The book builds off your understanding of the basics of .NET coding and WPF, allowing your journey to Silverlight 4 proficiency to be as quick and painless as possible. The text highlights where coding techniques are similar to other, more established areas of the .NET framework. Likewise, when your existing coding habits lead you to a syntax or conceptual �gotcha,� the text points that out, too.

Foundation Expression Blend 4 with Silverlight 4

Foundation Expression Blend 4 with Silverlight 4 takes you through your first steps in creating Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) using the latest release of Microsoft�s technology. You�ll explore features such as custom user controls that you can reuse throughout your projects and the media element that allows you to easily add sound and video to your applications. Silverlight 4 enables you to rapidly develop compelling, cross-platform RIAs using the extensive .NET 4 libraries, the powerful, design friendly Blend 4 Integrated Development Environment, and an enhanced workflow that allows designers and developers to work on the same set of files at the same time. At the end, you�ll put everything you have learned together to create a sample Silverlight 4 website.

Accelerated Silverlight 3

Accelerated Silverlight 3 teaches you how to get up to speed with the latest version of Silverlight quickly and efficiently. The book assumes you�re already comfortable with the basics of .NET coding and with WPF and builds on your existing knowledge to make your journey to Silverlight 3 proficiency as quick and painless as possible. Where coding techniques are similar to other, more established, areas of .NET, the text says so. Likewise, where there�s a syntax or conceptual �gotcha� that you�re existing coding habits will walk you into, the text points that out, too.

This book provides you with fast-track coverage of all the most important elements of the Silverlight 3 technology ranging from XAML to standard controls, from dealing with media to networking, from testing to deployment. It concludes with a pair of fully worked sample applications for you to follow through, because nothing reinforces your understanding of how concepts fit together as much as looking at finished code.

It is assumed that readers are already be comfortable with the workings of the .NET Framework. Knowledge of Expression Blend is useful, but not mandatory: you�ll learn the Blend techniques that you need to know as you go through the book. By the end, you will have followed a sound, concise, path to mastery of Silverlight 3.
What you�ll learn

* Migrate your existing .NET skills to Silverlight 3 as quickly as possible
* Learn everything you need to know to start developing quality Silverlight 3 applications with confidence
* Explore worked case studies showing techniques and best practices in a code-heavy style that you can relate to

Who is this book for?

This book is for .NET developers, whether they are previewing .NET 4.0, already using .NET 3.5, or are in the process of migrating up from .NET 2.0. The aim is to ease people�s migration paths as much as possible, so the text includes notes to highlight important features of .NET 3.5 and 4.0 that people need to be aware of and also to highlight where Silverlight�s working and syntax differs substantially from that of WPF.
About the Apress Accelerated Series

The fastest path to mastery, with a rapid tutorial covering best industry practices and a permanent reference you�ll keep by your desk.

Pro Business Applications with Silverlight 4

Silverlight 4 has the potential to revolutionize the way we build business applications. With its flexibility, web deployment, cross-platform capabilities, rich .NET language support on the client, rich user interface control set, small runtime, and more, it comes close to the perfect platform in which to build business applications. It�s a very powerful technology, and despite its relative youth, it�s moving forward at a rapid pace and is gaining widespread adoption.

This book will guide you through the process of designing and developing enterprise-strength business applications in Silverlight 4 and C#. You will learn how to take advantage of the power of Silverlight to develop rich and robust business applications, from getting started to deployment, and everything in between.

In particular, this book will serve developers who want to learn how to design business applications, and tackle the issues that you�ll face, and how to resolve them. Chris Anderson demonstrates his experience through a candid presentation of how to approach real-life implementation decisions.

With this book in hand, you will

* Create a fully functional business application in Silverlight
* Discover how to satisfy all of the common requirements that most business applications share

What you�ll learn

* How to structure your project to ensure a robust and maintainable application
* How to create user interfaces with XAML and bind controls to data
* How to communicate securely between the server and the client
* How to view and maintain data within a Silverlight user interface
* How to implement standard business application paradigms in Silverlight

Who is this book for?
This book is for developers experienced in other .NET technologies, such as WinForms or ASP.NET, looking to translate their existing skills to developing business applications with Silverlight.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Getting Started with Sliverlight
3. An Introduction to XAML
4. The Navigation Framework
5. Exposing Data From The Server
6. Implementing Summary Lists
7. Building Data Entry Forms
8. Securing Your Application
9. Styling Your Application
10. Advanced XAML and Data Binding
11. Creating Custom Controls
12. The Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM) Design Pattern
13. Reporting and Printing
14. Out of Browser Mode, and Interacting with the Operating System
15. Application Deployment

Pro Silverlight 4 In VB

Silverlight 4 is the latest iteration of Microsoft's cross-browser technology for creating rich user experiences on the Web. Like its predecessor, Silverlight 3, it rides atop the .NET Framework for maximum ease of use and coding efficiency. The new technology carries forward much of the work that has been done before and augments it in many important respects, including support for H.264 video, major improvements to the graphics engine (including true 3D rendering), and much richer data-binding options for interfacing with other applications.

Pro Silverlight 4 in VB is an invaluable reference for professional developers wanting to discover the new features of Silverlight. Author Matthew MacDonald's expert advice guides you through creating rich media applications using Silverlight in the environment you're most productive in�no matter what the target platform. As you learn about the features that put Silverlight in direct competition with Adobe Flash, such as rich support for 2D and 3D drawing, animations, and media playback, you'll experience the plumbing of .NET and the design model of WPF through Silverlight�all of the same .NET technology that developers use to design next-generation Windows applications.

Professional Silverlight 2 for ASP.NET Developers

Professional Silverlight 2 for ASP.NET DevelopersIf you want to quickly and easily create visually stunning Internet applications with rich interactivity, then this is the book for you. It covers the full feature set of Microsoft�s Silverlight 2, showing you how to use it to build, debug, troubleshoot, and performance tune your robust applications. You�ll also learn different techniques to seamlessly augment your ASP.NET web sites with the power of this plug-in.

You�ll first discover what Silverlight is as a technology and how it fits into the web-based landscape. The component pieces of a Silverlight application are also explained at a higher level. You�ll gain a strong understanding of its features and discover how to leverage both Silverlight and ASP.NET to create compelling applications.


With this book, you�ll learn how to program in Silverlight and you can discover all the benefits of using ASP.NET as the host. It arms you with all the skills and knowledge you�ll need to build advanced Silverlight-based applications in record time.

Pro ASP.NET 3.5 in VB 2008: Includes Silverlight 2

ASP.NET 3.5 is the latest version of Microsoft�s revolutionary ASP.NET technology. It is the principal standard for creating dynamic web pages on the Windows platform. Pro ASP.NET 3.5 in VB 2008: Includes Silverlight 2 raises the bar for high�quality, practical advice on learning and deploying Microsoft�s dynamic web solution.

Updated with everything you need to integrate Silverlight 2.0 into your ASP.NET applications, this book teaches you all about Silverlight�s exciting new features so that your ASP projects can be rich in visual flair and compelling to the user. You�ll learn how to use the new levels of abstraction in the Entity Framework to design elegant, powerful application architectures.


Seasoned .NET professionals Matthew MacDonald, Mario Szpuszta, and Vidya Vrat Agarwal explain how you can get the most from these groundbreaking new technologies. They cover ASP.NET 3.5 as a whole, illustrating both the brand�new features and the functionality carried over from previous versions of ASP. This book will give you the knowledge you need to code real ASP.NET 3.5 applications in the best possible style.

The book will teach you ASP.NET 3.5 starting with core concepts to more advanced topics. You will learn:

Core concepts of ASP.NET 3.5. Why it�s special. What its fundamental principles are. The basics of Visual Studio. How ASP.NET 3.5 controls are created, and how they fit into ASP.NET 3.5 pages, ultimately creating full applications.
Security. Once considered the Achilles� heel of all Windows web applications, security has vastly improved and is a cornerstone of ASP.NET 3.5. This book explains the various forms of available security and how to best apply them.
Taking things further using advanced user interface techniques. This includes user controls, customer server controls, client�side JavaScript, and GDI+.
Web services. In an increasingly connected world, working with web services grows in importance. This book will show you how to work with them.
ASP.NET AJAX, with an emphasis on contemporary web development techniques.
Development using Internet Information Services 7, Microsoft�s premier web hosting platform.

Pro ASP.NET 3.5 in C# 2008: Includes Silverlight 2, 3rd Edition

ASP.NET 3.5 is the latest version of Microsoft�s revolutionary ASP.NET technology. It is the principal standard for creating dynamic web pages on the Windows platform. Pro ASP.NET 3.5 in C# 2008 raises the bar for high�quality, practical advice on learning and deploying Microsoft�s dynamic web solution.

This new edition is updated with everything you need to integrate Silverlight 2.0 and SQL Server 2008 into your ASP.NET applications. You will learn about Silverlight�s exciting new features so that your ASP projects can be rich in visual flair and compelling to the user.


Seasoned .NET professionals Matthew MacDonald and Mario Szpuszta explain how you can get the most from this groundbreaking new technology. They cover ASP.NET 3.5 as a whole, illustrating both the brand�new features and the functionality carried over from previous versions of ASP. This book will give you the knowledge you need to code real ASP.NET 3.5 applications in the best possible style.

This book will teach you ASP.NET 3.5 starting with core concepts before moving on to more advanced topics. You will learn:

Core concepts of ASP.NET 3.5. Why it�s special. What its fundamental principals are. The basics of Visual Studio. How ASP.NET 3.5 controls are created, and how they fit into ASP.NET 3.5 pages, ultimately creating full applications.
Security. Once considered the Achilles heel of all Windows web applications, security has vastly improved and is a cornerstone of ASP.NET 3.5. This book explains the various forms of available security and how to best apply them.
Taking things further using advanced user interface techniques. This includes user controls, customer server controls, client�side JavaScript, and GDI+.
Web services. In an increasingly connected world, working with web services grows in importance. This book will show you how to work with them.
ASP.NET AJAX, with an emphasis on contemporary web development techniques.
Development using Internet Information Services 7, Microsoft�s premier web hosting platform.
And much more�

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