Pro Silverlight 4 in VB, 3rd Edition

Silverlight is Microsoft’s cross-browser technology for creating rich user experiences on the Web. Like its predecessor, Silverlight 4 rides atop the .NET framework for maximum ease of use and coding efficiency. The 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 who want to discover the 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.

In this book, MacDonald provides a comprehensive tutorial written from professional developer to professional developer.

What you’ll learn

• Develop rich media applications using Silverlight across browsers and platforms
• Create a project, set up a layout, and use controls
• Handle both 2D and 3D drawing, animation, and media playback through Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF)
• Integrate web services support
• Use Silverlight in conjunction with ASP.NET and its interactions with HTML

Who this book is for

.NET developers encountering Silverlight for the first time. No prior knowledge of WPF or ASP.NET is assumed.

Table of Contents

1. Introducing Silverlight
2. XAML
3. Layout
4. Dependency Properties and Routed Events
5. Elements
6. The Application Model
7. Navigation
8. Shapes and Geometries
9. Brushes, Transforms, and Bitmaps
10. Animation
11. Sound, Video, and Deep Zoom
12. Styles and Behaviors
13. Templates and Custom Controls
14. Browser Integration
15. ASP.NET Web Services
16. Data Binding
17. Data Controls
18. File Access
19. Multithreading
20. Networking
21. Out-of-Browser Applications