Synopses & Reviews
Microsoft describes Silverlight as a "cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in for delivering the next generation of .NET based media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web." That's a really boring description for a really exciting new technology. Anyone who has looked at the demos and gotten a taste of what Silverlight can do knows that Silverlight represents an entirely new level of rich web interface technology for Microsoft developers. With Silverlight 2, developers can use JavaScript, VB, C#, Python, and Ruby to build user-friendly, interactive, and visually-dazzling web applications that work in most major browsers.
Silverlight 2 in Action is the first book to cover Silverlight 2, a far more robust implementation of Silverlight than the current 1 release that supports only JavaScript. The much-anticipated 2 release adds powerful new features along with the ability to code in multiple languages and integrate your work with Visual Studio and the new Expression suite of tools. This book delivers real-world examples and in-depth walkthroughs to help you confidently enhance your web applications using Silverlight 2.
Silverlight 2 in Action devotes extensive coverage to flexible layout components, the extensible control model, the communication framework, and the data-binding features "all cornerstones of software development. Author and Microsoft MVP Chad Campbell also describes rich media and vivid graphical and animation features. The final chapters include a variety of Silverlight deployment scenarios.
In addition to the fundamentals of Silverlight, you'll be introduced to architectural components such as the Silverlight object model. The book addresses the developer/designer collaboration model Silverlight enables, showing the developer how to include the designer effectively in the project workflow. This model is illustrated throughout the examples.
For ongoing reader support, the author will maintain a dedicated book-support website providing up-to-the-minute working examples, complete with source code, all in Silverlight.
Synopsis
Teach yourself how to build Microsoft® Silverlight® applications for Windows® Phone 7 -- one step at a time. Presented by experts on mobile application development, this tutorial provides practical, learn-by-doing exercises to help you design, build, test, and sell your first Silverlight apps.
Discover how to:
- Create Silverlight applications using Microsoft Visual Studio®
- Design pages that work in portrait and landscape orientations
- Emulate the UI of Windows Phone 7
- Create animations to add life to your application user interface
- Use data binding to display and edit application data
- Take advantage of GPS, camera, microphone, and accelerometer capabilities
- Interact with Web services to access live data for your apps
- Cache data so your application can work when the phone is offline
Synopsis
Silverlight 3 is a user-friendly tool from Microsoft that allows developers to easily add life to web applications with dynamic user features, colorful transitions, and eye-catching animations.
We think it should be just as much fun to learn Silverlight as it is to use it. And we know that fun learning gets better results. Hello! Silverlight 3 is a fast-paced, entertaining introduction to Silverlight. In this book, User Friendly cartoon characters offer commentary and snide side comments, as the book moves quickly from Hello World into practical techniques. Each one is illustrated with a hands-on example. Along the way, readers will learn to build a simple Silverlight-based game complete with sound effects.
Synopsis
Written by best-selling O'Reilly author Jesse Liberty and fellow Silverlight Program Manager Tim Heuer, Programming Silverlight 2 teaches developers all they need to know to build rich internet applications (RIA) that can run in any browser on Windows or Macs OS with Microsoft's new Silverlight platform. This definitive tutorial guides the reader through every aspect of building rich, interactive applications delivered cross-browser and cross platform using Microsoft's new Silverlight technology. Silverlight allows developers to harness the power of rich user controls found in Microsoft's Windows Presentation Foundation and Windows Vista, but deliver it to any browser on any supported operating system. Programming Silverlight begins with a full exploration of XAML and the Silverlight Foundation libraries that support the creation of rich interactive applications. This book is targeted squarely at applications developers who are building cutting edge, high profile, commercial applications, and need a no-nonsense in-the-trenches tutorial to this new and high-demand technology, but who do not need a regurgitation of the documentation.
Synopsis
Silverlight 2 is the most exciting Microsoft technology to come along since .NET, and this definitive tutorial is targeted straight at the programmer who wants to build rich, robust, real-world, client-side applications using managed code. Authors Jesse Liberty and Tim Heuer are Microsoft's Silverlight Community Program Managers, putting them in a unique position to tell the story of this technology. In Programming Silverlight 2, they present a guided tour through every aspect of Silverlight 2, diving deep into the techniques and best practices you'll need to create exciting and reliable cross-browser, cross-platform, Rich Internet Applications. This book: Helps you find the best paths through the thicket of information and detail Explains not just how but why and when Illustrates each concept with simple, yet meaningful (and reusable) examples Talks as a developer to a developer; a stimulating technical conversation in which difficult questions are anticipated and answered Meets the needs of developers who work with large teams, small teams and who work alone; in various industries, and with varying levels of experience Liberty and Heuer have not only written the single best book on Silverlight 2, they continue their commitment in their work on Silverlight.net, with ongoing writing, videos, webcasts world-wide presentations, and much more. Whether you're a .NET developer or come from a different platform, this book will get you up to speed quickly on this new and immensely important technology.
Synopsis
Moroney, a software developer for Microsoft, provides this tutorial on the Silverlight plug-in for fellow web developers and programmers. Plenty of JavaScript and XAML code samples are listed which enable users to enhance the interface between interactive applications, including touchscreen technologies. A section of this manual is devoted to enabling audio and video playback, including streaming video and progressive downloads. Additional JavaScript and XAML codes are available on the companion website as well.
Synopsis
Get a head start with Silverlight 2the cross-platform, cross-browser plug-in for rich interactive applications and the next-generation user experience.
Featuring advance insights from inside the Microsoft Silverlight team, this book delivers the practical, approachable guidance and code to inspire your next solutions, and offers pointers to C# and XAML code samples on the Web.
Discover how to:
- Create your first simple sites and browser-hosted applications
- Use XAML to render, scale, and animate graphics on-screen
- Exploit Microsoft .NET runtime and Visual Studio language support
- Explore the full suite of controlsbuild and extend your own
- Experiment with media, ink, and Deep Zoom capabilities
- Create connected applications
- Put dynamic languages such as Ruby and Python to work
- Deliver skinned media content
- Manage Silverlight applications from ASP.NETbased servers
Synopsis
Get a running start with Silverlight 3the cross-platform, cross-browser plug-in for rich interactive applications and cutting-edge media experiences. Featuring advance insights from inside the Microsoft Silverlight teamthis book provides practical, grounded advice, rich examples, and ready code to help inspire your next solutions.
Discover how to:
- Create your first simple sites
- Build applications that run out of the browser
- Use XAML to render, scale, and animate graphics on-screen
- Work with Silverlight Tools for Visual Studio
- Explore core and advanced controlsand build your own
- Exploit new graphics support3-D effects, H.264 video, GPU acceleration
- Experiment with media, ink, DeepZoom, and Photosynth * Access data services to build connected applications
- Dynamically add content using Ruby and Python
- Manage Silverlight applications from ASP.NETbased servers
- Learn how to deliver DRM-protected video content
Synopsis
Get a head start on creating successful applications for Windows Phone 7. With this thorough introduction to Microsofts new mobile operating system and platform, youll learn step by step how to design, develop, test, package, and deploy great games and apps for WP7 -- whether or not youre familiar with Silverlight and XNA.
Written by two of Microsofts Technical Evangelists for Windows Phone, this book shows you how to create compelling user experiences by integrating your applications with the phones hardware, such as its location capabilities, camera, and accelerometer. WP7 isnt simply the next version of Windows Mobile. Its a new generation of the OS designed to work with todays sophisticated smartphones and Microsofts exceptional tools for interactive development -- and you can get started with it right now.
- Create rich, interactive WP7 applications with Silverlight
- Develop games for WP7 with Microsofts XNA development technology
- Use the accelerometer to create fun, immersive applications
- Build location-aware or data-centric applications
- Keep application status up to date using push notifications
- Add multitouch support to WP7 XNA and Silverlight applications
- Learn how to monetize your WP7 games and applications
- Use Visual Studio or the free Visual Studio Express edition to develop your apps
Synopsis
Teach yourself how to build rich Internet applications with Silverlight 4--one step at a time. With this practical, learn-by-doing tutorial, you'll learn how to create interactive user interfaces for the Web and the newest version of Windows Phone by mastering the essential tools and techniques for Silverlight.
- Install the tools you need and build your first Silverlight application
- Get up to speed on Silverlight 4 features, including out-of-browser support, webcam, and microphone
- Develop Web applications with Silverlight that work across browsers and devices
- Engage users with animation, video, layout, vector graphics, and 3D effects
- Learn how to build and deploy simple applications for Windows Phone 7
- Create Windows Phone features such as Input Scope, Orientation, and the Application Bar
Your online learning resources include:
- Practice exercises
- Code samples
- Fully searchable ebook
A Note Regarding the CD or DVD
The print version of this book ships with a CD or DVD. For those customers purchasing one of the digital formats in which this book is available, we are pleased to offer the CD/DVD content as a free download via O'Reilly Media's Digital Distribution services. To download this content, please visit O'Reilly's web site, search for the title of this book to find its catalog page, and click on the link below the cover image (Examples, Companion Content, or Practice Files). Note that while we provide as much of the media content as we are able via free download, we are sometimes limited by licensing restrictions. Please direct any questions or concerns to [email protected].
Synopsis
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.
Bring your app ideas to lifewith guidance from a Windows programming legend
Get started building your own apps and utilities for Windows Phone 7expertly guided by award-winning author Charles Petzold. Focusing on Silverlight for Windows Phone 7 and the C# language, youll learn how to extend your existing skills to this new mobile platformmastering the core tools and techniques you need to get productive quickly. As always, Charles brings a unique combination of pragmatism and inspiration to his instructionalong with a wealth of hands-on examples.
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 inputincluding 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
Get code samples on the Web
- For system requirements, see the Introduction.
Synopsis
This comprehensive book teaches you how to build data-rich business applications with Silverlight 2 that draw on multiple sources of data. Packed with reusable examples, Data-Driven Services with Silverlight 2 covers all of the data access and web service tools you need, including data binding, the LINQ data querying component, RESTful and SOAP web service support, cross-domain web service calls, and Microsoft's new ADO.NET Data Services and the ADO.NET Entity Framework.
With this book, you will:
- Know when and how to use LINQ to JSON, LINQ to XML, and LINQ to Objects
- Learn how Silverlight 2 applications bind, pass, read, save, query, and present data
- Discover how your application can call web services to work with SOAP, REST, RSS, AtomPub, POX and JSON
- Design REST, ASMX, and WCF web services that communicate with Silverlight 2
- Harness RESTful web services such as Digg, Amazon, and Twitter
- Retrieve and save data using the new Entity Framework and WCF
- Work with RESTful ADO.NET Data Services and its Silverlight client library to move data between your Silverlight application and a database
Data-Driven Services with Silverlight 2 offers many tips and tricks for building data-rich business applications, and covers the scenarios you're most likely to encounter. Complete examples in C# and VB can be downloaded from the book's companion website.
Synopsis
Using Head First's unique visually rich format, this book teaches experienced programmers best practices for building iPhone apps that will sell. Using the proven formula that has turned several Head First titles into bestsellers, this book will help readers get their first iPhone apps up and running in no time. They'll quickly master core Objective-C programming principles and learn skills with tools in the iPhone SDK, including Interface Builder and Xcode. Head First iPhone Development is a complete learning experience for creating eye-catching, top-selling iPhone applications.
Synopsis
Let's say you have an idea for a killer iPhone app. Where do you begin? Head First iPhone Development will help you get your first application up and running in no time. You'll quickly learn to use iPhone SDK tools, including Interface Builder and Xcode, and master Objective-C programming principles that will make your app stand out. It's a complete learning experience for creating eye-catching, top-selling iPhone applications.
- Put Objective-C core concepts to work, including message passing, protocols, properties, and memory management
- Take advantage of iPhone patterns such as datasources and delegates
- Preview your applications in the iPhone Simulator
- Build complicated interactions that utilize multiple views, data entry/editing, and iPhone rotation
- Work with iPhone's camera, GPS, and accelerometer
- Optimize, test, and distribute your application
We think your time is too valuable to waste struggling with new concepts. Using the latest research in cognitive science and learning theory to craft a multi-sensory learning experience, Head First iPhone Development provides a visually-rich format designed for the way your brain works, not a text-heavy approach that puts you to sleep.
Synopsis
Released before the official version of Silverlight 2 appears, this book includes a concise introduction to the software's latest public beta. As Microsoft revises Silverlight, book buyers will receive details and advice about the changes. Silverlight gives .NET and ASP.NET developers a way to build rich Internet applications (RIA).
Synopsis
Now you can design rich Internet applications (RIAs) for the Web using Silverlight 2, the latest version of Microsoft's hot new runtime application -- without waiting for the official release. That's right. With Essential Silverlight 2 Up-to-Date, you not only get a concise, easy-to-understand introduction to Silverlight 2, but thorough coverage of the CTPs, betas, and RTM releases as they become available. Once you buy this Up-to-Date edition, you'll receive printed pages on all the revisions to Silverlight -- pages that you can insert right into the book's unique binder format. It combines the the speed of technology with convenience of a book. With Essential Silverlight 2 Up-to-Date, you learn to take advantage of Microsoft's cross-browser Silverlight plug-in with tools for animation, vector graphics, and video playback, as well as new .NET support for web services, networking and LINQ (language integrated query). This guide gives you complete step-by-step instructions for using everything Silverlight has to offer, along with: Clever ways to create interactive UIs that are more robust and easier to debug and test than what you can achieve on other platforms Scores of tested JavaScript and C# code examples that you can reuse in your own applications Expert guidance from an author who understands RIA technologies, including ASP.NET, Flash, PHP, and JavaScript Ready to deliver a more complete Web experience? Now there's no reason to wait. Essential Silverlight 2 Up to Date offers a whole new world of possibilities.
Synopsis
Silverlight 3 in Actionisafast-paced, comprehensive tutorial that guides thereader from creating Hello World” to coding production-quality, data-drivenrich internet applications with graphics, audio, and video content. Written for adeveloper who already knows howto code in C#, this fluff-free book covers thebasics quickly and dives into the heartof Silverlight development using XAML(a language for creating user interface elements), Visual Studio 2008/2010, andthe Expression design suite.
Synopsis
Silverlight in Action, Revised Edition is a fast-paced, comprehensive tutorial that guides the reader from creating "Hello World" to coding production-quality, data-driven rich internet applications with graphics, audio, and video content. Written for a developer who already knows how to code in C#, this fluff-free book covers the basics quickly and dives into the heart of Silverlight development using XAML (a language for creating user interface elements), Visual Studio 2008/2010, and the Expression design suite.
In addition to the fundamentals, the book covers the new features in Silverlight, as well as .NET RIA Services. It explains developing offline and "outside the browser" applications, managing video and audio, handling validation, navigation and deep-linking, and how each Silverlight feature fits into the overall Silverlight ecosystem.
Synopsis
Silverlight 2, Microsoft's new Web framework for developing rich Internet applications, brings the developer and the designer together. This example-rich tutorial reveals how to work on projects in Visual Studio and Expression Blend, how to use source control to manage projects, and how to deploy applications successfully.
Synopsis
"We did what would normally take six months in eight days-with a team learning from scratch." -from Chapter 1 of Hacking Silverlight
Writing good code is hard enough using established, well-documented technologies; with something new like Silverlight, you need to think like a hacker. Hacking Silverlight is a unique tutorial that shows the reader how to build great Silverlight web applications fearlessly. Each chapter starts and ends with carefully annotated code examples that range from Silverlight basics to undocumented techniques you won't find anywhere else.
Author David James Kelley is part of an elite group hand-picked by Microsoft to test early Silverlight builds and develop sample applications. This book guides the reader through a running case study of an actual, large-scale Silverlight project.
Synopsis
Silverlight represents an entirely new level of rich Web interface technology for Microsoft developers. "Silverlight 2 in Action" is the first book to cover Silverlight 2, a far more robust implementation of Silverlight than the current 1 release that supports only JavaScript.
About the Author
Andy Wigley has been building software for mobile devices since the early days of the mobile internet, and is an expert on mobile application development using the Microsoft .NET Compact Framework. He has been an MVP since 2003. He has co-authored a number of books for Microsoft Press, including the Microsoft Mobile Development Handbook and Microsoft .NET Compact Framework Core Reference. He lives in North Wales where he loves to go rock and ice climbing. You might also find him playing bass guitar with his heavy rock band in pubs and music venues around North Wales and the North West of England.
Peter Foot is an MVP for Device Application Development. He co-authored the Microsoft Mobile Development Handbook (Microsoft Press May 2007) and has working with many generations of Microsoft powered mobile devices. Peter lives with his wife Stephanie in New Zealand and enjoys photography and playing piano.
Table of Contents
Dedication; Acknowledgments; Introduction; Why Microsoft Silverlight?; Who This Book Is For; What This Book Is About; System Requirements; The Companion Web Site; Support for This Book; Questions and Comments; Introducing Silverlight 3; Chapter 1: Introducing Silverlight 3; 1.1 Silverlight and User Experience; 1.2 Silverlight Architecture; 1.3 Silverlight and XAML; 1.4 Silverlight and Expression Studio; 1.5 Summary; Chapter 2: Using Expression Blend with Silverlight; 2.1 Getting Started with Expression Blend; 2.2 The Expression Blend IDE; 2.3 Using Expression Blend to Build Silverlight Applications; 2.4 Using SketchFlow; 2.5 Summary; Chapter 3: Using Visual Studio with Silverlight; 3.1 Installing the Visual Studio Tools for Silverlight; 3.2 Using Visual Studio to Build a Silverlight Application; 3.3 Building a Silverlight Game; 3.4 Summary; Chapter 4: Silverlight XAML Basics; 4.1 XAML Positioning Properties; 4.2 XAML Brushes; 4.3 XAML Visual Properties; 4.4 Shapes in XAML; 4.5 Clipping and Geometries in XAML; 4.6 Summary; Chapter 5: XAML Transformation and Animation; 5.1 Transformations; 5.2 Animation; 5.3 Animation and Expression Blend; 5.4 Summary; Chapter 6: The Silverlight Browser Object; 6.1 Hosting Silverlight in the Browser; 6.2 Responding to Page Load Events; 6.3 Responding to Page Error Events; 6.4 Using the Object Model to Build an Install Experience; 6.5 Running Silverlight Applications Out of the Browser; 6.6 Summary; Programming Silverlight 3 with .NET; Chapter 7: The Silverlight Browser Bridge; 7.1 Creating the Base Application; 7.2 Controlling the Application with JavaScript; 7.3 Manipulating the Silverlight Render Tree; 7.4 Accessing JavaScript Functions from .NET; 7.5 Summary; Chapter 8: Silverlight Core Controls; 8.1 The Button Control; 8.2 The CheckBox Control; 8.3 The ComboBox Control; 8.4 The HyperlinkButton Control; 8.5 The Image Control; 8.6 The ListBox Control; 8.7 The RadioButton Control; 8.8 The TextBlock Control; 8.9 The TextBox Control; 8.10 Common Properties, Events, and Methods; 8.11 Summary; Chapter 9: Silverlight Controls: Advanced Controls; 9.1 The DataGrid Control; 9.2 The Calendar and DatePicker Controls; 9.3 The RepeatButton and ToggleButton Controls; 9.4 The ScrollViewer Control; 9.5 The Slider Control; 9.6 Summary; Chapter 10: Media in Silverlight: Video; 10.1 The MediaElement Control; 10.2 Programming the MediaElement; 10.3 Painting Video Using the VideoBrush; 10.4 H.264 Video Support; 10.5 Protecting Media with Digital Rights Management; 10.6 Summary; Chapter 11: Media in Silverlight: Rich Imaging; 11.1 Deep Zoom with the MultiScaleImage Control; 11.2 Creating Photo Scenes Using Photosynth; 11.3 Summary;Chapter 12: Building Connected Applications with Silverlight; 12.1 Building the Data Service; 12.2 Using the WebClient Class; 12.3 Expanding the Service for HTTP-POST; 12.4 Using HttpWebRequest and HttpWebResponse; 12.5 Building the SOAP Web Service; 12.6 Creating a Web Services Client in Silverlight; 12.7 Building the WCF Service; 12.8 Making Calls Across Domains; 12.9 Summary; Chapter 13: Styles and Templates in Silverlight; 13.1 Understanding Styling; 13.2 Templates; 13.3 Summary; Chapter 14: Data Binding with Silverlight; 14.1 Creating a Data Object; 14.2 Binding to the Data Object; 14.3 Using Conversion in Binding; 14.4 Catching Property Changed Events; 14.5 The Binding Language; 14.6 Summary; Chapter 15: Using Dynamic Languages in Silverlight; 15.1 Your First Silverlight IronPython Application; 15.2 Using Ruby and JavaScript; 15.3 A More Complex Example; 15.4 Summary; About the Author;