Visual Studio Lightswitch 2012

LightSwitch 2012 is included as part of the Visual Studio 2012 package. It is a rapid application deployment tool that lets power users and administrators build data-centric business applications for the desktop, cloud, and Web in just a few clicks, with no code required. The basics are very easily understood but more advanced users will hunger for more: how do you design complex layouts? How do you query data using LINQ and other syntax structures? How do you secure your application against malicious use? Visual Studio LightSwitch 2012 answers these questions and more as author Tim Leung—winner of a Microsoft 2011 Community Contributor Award for his LightSwitch expertise—covers this breakthrough product in detail. For serious developers building, enhancing and deploying advanced business applications using LightSwitch makes sense because they can benefit from the elegance, convenience and cost savings afforded by rapid application development before going beyond the “click-and-you’re-done” interface to include the extra value and depth of coding expertise that their clients value.

What you’ll learn

With Visual Studio LightSwitch 2012, learn how to:

• Add visibility through with Relationships and Details screens
• Use customized queries, sorts and filters, and reporting
• Customize displays via user controls
• Use multiple line-of-business data sources to aggregate reports
• Handle events in code and debug applications
• Master the intricacies of complex user interface design
• Secure your applications through authentication
• Write custom .NET code to enhance LightSwitch
• Deploy maintainable LightSwitch projects

Who this book is for

Visual Studio LightSwitch 2012 is a book designed for any software developer who wants to take advantage of the rapid application deployment (RAD) experience offered by LightSwitch. It is ideal reading for those wanting to build and design applications correctly from the onset. Developers who have grasped the basics of LightSwitch and are looking to do more will benefit greatly from this book. Anyone struggling to design complex screens and queries in order to meet user requirements will find the answers in this book.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introducing LightSwitch
Chapter 2: Setting Up Your Data
Chapter 3: Introducing Silverlight Screen Design
Chapter 4: Accessing Data with Code
Chapter 5: Validating Data
Chapter 6: Querying Your Data
Chapter 7: Mastering Silverlight Screen Design
Chapter 8: Creating HTML Interfaces
Chapter 9: Creating and Using RIA Services
Chapter 10: Sharing Data with OData
Chapter 11: Creating and Using Custom Controls
Chapter 12: Creating Control Extensions
Chapter 13: Creating Data and Presentation Extensions
Chapter 14: Creating Reports
Chapter 15: Sending E-mail
Chapter 16: Authenticating Your Users
Chapter 17: Authorizing Your Users
Chapter 18: Deploying Your Application

APPENDIX A: Culture Names
APPENDIX B: Data Type Identifiers
APPENDIX C: Using Properties in Custom Controls
APPENDIX D: Custom Screen Template View IDs
APPENDIX E: HelpDesk Tables