Course Description

Learning Goals

This course covers Silverlight 3 in depth, and you will learn how to build the next generation Rich Internet Applications (RIA) with MS Visual Studio 2008, MS Expression Blend and MS Expression Media Encoder.

Target Audience

This 5-day in-depth course is meant for experienced .NET developers, who want to learn how to build Rich Internet Applications (RIA) with Silverlight.

Prerequisites

Participants of this course need to have a solid understanding of the .NET platform and have built .NET applications using either C# or VB.NET.

Course Outline:

Introducing Silverlight 3

What is user experience?
Silverlight 3 architecture in .NET 3.5.
Supported platforms.
The Silverlight runtime model.
Silverlight as WPF "Light".
Building your first Silverlight application.

Introducing XAML

What is XAML?
XAML vs.Code.
Looking at XAML basic syntax.
Understanding XAML promoted and attached properties.
Nesting controls.
The Content property.
Extending XAML through markup extensions.
Understanding CLR and Xml namespace mapping.
Mapping multiple namespaces.
Naming elements.
Using events.
XAML code generation.
Loading and saving XAML.

Developer and designer collaboration for Silverlight 3

Designer/Developer productivity.
Silverlight programming cycle.
The Visual Studio Designer.
MS Expression Blend.
Using MS Expression Media Encoder.

Silverlight 3 Controls

Class Hierarchy.
Tweaking the UI with transforms.
Silverlight shapes, such as Rectangle and Ellipse.
Using images and videos in your Silverlight application.
Brushes, pens, colors.
Using a VideoBrush and opacity masks to build a reflection effect.
The power of composability.
Looking at Content, Item, and Range controls.
Range controls
Using Text controls.

Introduction to Silverlight 3 Layout

Look at Silverlight layout capabilities.
Standard layout properties.
Absolute layout using Canvas.
Using StackPanel.
The do-it-all panel: Grid.
Tweaking layout using panel attached properties.

Introduction to Animation

Building simple animations.
Starting Animations
Detecting animation completion

Principles of Styling, Skinning and Templates

Why we need style(s).
Silverlight look-less controls.
Example: Restyling a ListBox.
Introduction to templates.

Introduction to Silverlight 3 Data Binding

The need for data binding.
Binding in code and markup.
Introduction to simple data binding.
Introduction to complex data binding.

Silverlight 3 and the Web

Downloading resources from the Web.
Using HttpWebRequest.
Using Web Client.
Downloading an XML file and processing it with Linq to Xml.
Calling Web Services using SOAP.

Deep Zoom

What is Deep Zoom?
Using Deep Zoom Composer.
The MultiScaleImage control.
Uploading to PhotoZoom.

Reusability with Silverlight 3 Resources

Re-using objects through resources.
Resource inheritance.
Using Static resources.
Resources and code-behind
Introducing Resource Dictionaries.
Using embedded resources.

Building Styles, Triggers and Templates

What is the Visual State Manager.
Understanding States and Transitions.
Using the Visual State Manager with Blend.

Building your own Controls

Understanding dependency and attached properties.
Working with Routed events.
Building custom controls with Silverlight 3.
Adding support for the Visual State Manager.

Advanced Layout

Using GridSplitters.
Tweaking using panel attached properties.
Measuring and Layout.
Building a custom layout control.

Implementing Silverlight 3 Data Binding

Using simple data binding.
Understanding TwoWay data binding and INotifyPropertyChanged.
Converting data for data binding.
How to validate data with Silverlight
Understanding Source and DataContext.
Using complex data binding.
Working with data templates.
Master-detail data binding.
Filtering, sorting with LINQ.
Debugging data binding.

Building animations with Blend

Building animation timelines.
Key Frame animations.
Animations in triggers and templates.
Building animations in code and with Blend.
Pixel Effects.
Perspective 3D.

Using Storage with Silverlight 3

Using the FileOpenDialog.
Using isolated storage as better cookies.
Extending storage.

Web Services and Silverlight 3 apps

Introducing WCF.
Using web services in Silverlight.
Generating a Web Service proxy.
Introducing REST.
Using REST with Silverlight.
Introducing ADO.NET Data Services
Using ADO.NET Data Services with Silverlight
Building RIA Services with Silverlight

Interaction between Silverlight 3 and the browser

Catching HTML events and using the HTML DOM from managed code:
Handling HTML event in managed code.
Calling managed code from JavaScript.
Capturing the mouse wheel with DOM interop.
Taking Silverlight out-of-browser.
Communication between 2 Silverlight clients.
Silverlight Network API.

Integrating Silverlight 3 with ASP.NET AJAX

Hosting the Silverlight application on your ASP.NET web site.
Integrating AJAX with Silverlight.
Customizing the download animation.