Microsoft Silverlight 4: RIA Programming with Silverlight

Course Overview

We cover the essentials of Xaml and design on the course, but the main focus is on developing n-tier applications with the rich interactive client that Silverlight can provide. The course provides guidance and tuition on adopting the popular architecural patterns for RIA apps including RIA Services, M-V-VM and PRISM frameworks.

Delegates will learn how to connect Silverlight with a range of technologies including WCF, REST based services, duplex services and sockets.

The course provides a deep understanding of data binding as well as UI interaction including drag and drop, threads, Isolated Storage, datagrid, listbox & dataform controls, accessibility, and the Navigation framework.

Delegates will learn how to create their own re-usable templatable custom controls, and how to write Silverlight Unit Tests, and finally how to host the app both on their own servers and using Windows Azure.

This Microsoft training course will help you stay competitive, sharpen your skills and could enhance your Microsoft career prospects.

Related Courses

• Microsoft Visual Studio 2010: Developing Silverlight 4.0 Applications with Visual Studio 2010 and Expression Blend 4
• Microsoft Silverlight 4: for Designers
• Microsoft Silverlight 4: Developing Rich Internet Applications Using Microsoft Silverlight 4
• Microsoft Windows Phone 7: Application Development

Audience

This course is for developers who need to use Silverlight 4 to build clients for their line of business applications.

Prerequisites

Applications Developers familiar with the Visual Studio environment.

Course Outline

Silverlight Introduction

• What is Silverlight?
• Architecture
• Project Architecture
• Deployment
• Assembly Caching
• Running Silverlight Apps
• Tools for Creating Silverlight Apps
• Difference in versions

Silverlight Xaml

• Xaml Syntax
• Xaml Namescopes
• Silverlight namespace extensions
• Content Models
• Type Converters
• Property Elements
• Mapping Libraries
• Dependency Properties Intro
• Attached properties
• Markup Extensions
• Binding
• StaticResource
• TemplateBinding
• RelativeSource

Silverlight Graphics, Media & Controls

• Graphics & Text
• Audio and Video (inc DRM overview)
• Creating & Understanding Animation
• Understanding Controls
• Resources, Style & Templates

Hosting Silverlight in the Browser

• Plugin positioning and Dimensions
• Hosting the control
• Creating flexible layouts
• Full-Screen Support
• Hosting the control
• Object tag & options
• Using a Xaml Splash Screen
• Customising the Installation experience

UI Interaction

• Keyboard input
• Mouse Input
• Wheel support
• Multitouch support
• Drag and Drop
• Full Screen Mode
• File Open and Save Dialogs
• Isolated Storage
• Background Worker & Threads

Interaction with the Environment

• Controlling Html from Silverlight
• Calling managed code from Javascript
• Using the LocalConnection API to communicate between multiple Silverlight instances
• Maximising SEO
• Out Of Browser Support
• Enabling OOB support
• Using the Network Monitoring API
• Updating an OOB Application

Working with Services

• Creating Services for Silverlight
• Silverlight enabled WCF services
• BinaryXML
• ADO.Net Data Services
• RESTful services with POX and JSON
• Consuming Services
• WCF, ASMX
• Ado.Net Data Services
• Other Services (REST, POX)
• Security restrictions
• Sockets and Duplex Services
• Cryptographic Services
• Choosing a O/R mapper to use with Silverlight
• EF
• Linq to SQL

Data Binding

• Understanding DataBinding in Silverlight
• DataBinding Modes
• DataBinding Syntax
• DataContext
• Change Notification
• DataTemplates

Creating Custom Controls

• The Silverlight Toolkit
• Motivation for creating custom controls
• Creating custom controls
• Understanding Generic.Xaml
• Using custom controls

Accessibility

• Making Silverlight accessible
• Achieving DDA Compliance
• UI Automation

Silverlight Unit Testing

• Choosing a testing framework
• Installing the framework
• Writing Unit Tests for Silverlight code
• Adopting TDD and Silverlight
• Integration

Silverlight Navigation Applications

• Overview
• Creating Navigation Applications
• Creating clean Url's
• Understanding Deep Linking
• Applying other styles and assets
• Using navigation in standard Silverlight applications

Using .Net RIA Services for n-tier

• Understanding .Net RIA Services
• Pros and cons
• Validation model and shared code
• Creating RIA Services applications
• Using the Data Form with Ria Services
• Using RIA services with other data bound controls

Model-View-ViewModel

• Motivation for M-V-VM
• Using M-V-VM in Silverlight
• Available M-V-VM frameworks

Using Silverlight with Azure

• Understanding Azure
• Getting the Azure bits for Visual Studio
• Creating Silverlight apps for Azure

Review and Summary