Accelerated Silverlight 2

Accelerated Silverlight 2 will get you up to speed with version 2 of Silverlight quickly and efficiently. Author Jeff Scanlon assumes you’re already comfortable with the basics of .NET coding and with Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), and helps you build on your existing knowledge to make your journey to Silverlight 2 proficiency as quick and painless as possible. Where coding techniques are similar to other, more established areas of .NET, he'll say so. Likewise, where there’s a syntax or conceptual “gotcha” that you’re existing coding habits will walk you into, he’ll point that out, too.

You’ll find fast–track coverage of all the most important elements of the Silverlight 2 technology ranging from XAML to standard controls, from dealing with media to networking, from testing to deployment. Two fully-worked sample applications conclude your path to Silverlight 2 mastery because nothing reinforces your understanding of how concepts fit together as much as looking at finished code.

The book is based on the assumption that readers will already be very comfortable with the workings of the .NET Framework. Knowledge of Expression Blend is useful, but the author doesn’t assume that you’re a master of it. You’ll learn the Blend techniques that you need to know as you go along. By the end of the book, the author will have provided you with a sound, concise, path to mastery of Silverlight 2.

What you’ll learn

• Emigrate your existing .NET skills to Silverlight 2 as quickly as possible
• Learn everything you need to know to start developing quality Silverlight 2 applications with confidence
• Explore techniques and best practices in code–heavy, relevant case studies

This book is for .NET developers, whether they are already using .NET 3.5 or are in the process of migrating up from .NET 2.0. The book aims to ease people’s migration paths as much as possible. The authors include notes to highlight important features of .NET 3.5 that people need to be aware of and also to highlight where Silverlight’s working and syntax differs substantially than that of Windows Presentation Foundation.

Silverlight 2 is a new web development technology from Microsoft that is already causing huge waves within the development community. It is the natural successor to Ajax and ASP.NET AJAX-style applications and provides a means for web-pages to provide the seamless and rich user experience that is currently only available from desktop-based applications.

Building on the proven approach of Apress’ Accelerated C# and Accelerated VB titles this book provides readers with a fast-track to mastering this technology by building on the skills that experienced .NET developers already have already acquired. In a tightly packed five-hundred pages readers will be shown everything they need to know to become proficient in Silverlight 2 development.

Jeff Scanlon is an independent Microsoft consultant with extensive experience developing software using a variety of technologies. He designs and implements software across all layers with a focus on web–based applications. Jeff has led developer training sessions on software engineering practices and introductions to new technologies at nearly every company he has worked. His current work includes prototyping applications using technologies such as Silverlight, Windows Communication Foundation, and ASP.NET. His writing includes Professional Java JDK 6 Edition and its updated edition and has written articles on .NET in Software Development magazine. He holds several Microsoft certifications and a bachelor of science degree in computer science.