The growing popularity of Web 2.0 applications is increasing user expectations for high-quality web site design, presentation, and functionality. It is into this climate that Microsoft is releasing Silverlight 4, the third and latest iteration of its cross-browser web presentation technology. Beginning Sliverlight 4 brings you to the cutting-edge of Web 2.0 application design and includes plenty of practical guidance to get you started straightaway.

Silverlight design tools have important differences compared to those used to create Ajax and JavaScript functionality. Robert Lair takes you on a tour of all the tools, including:

• Microsoft Expression Design, which plays an important part in creating Silverlight assets.
• Microsoft Expression Blend, which is used to build user interaction for Silverlight elements.
• Microsoft Visual Studio, which manages the interaction between designers and developers, providing the coding environment for “nuts and bolts” wiring.

Once you’ve mastered the basics, you'll move on to gaining a more in-depth knowledge of some of the new features introduced with Silverlight 4, including H.264 protected content, right-click event handling, a new printing API, and support for the Managed Extensibility Framework.

• Discover the tools needed for Silverlight 4 development, the roles each plays, and how they interact to produce a seamless result.
• Understand the fundamental concepts and techniques that lie at the heart of every successful Silverlight application and how to apply them to your own projects.
• Explore the new features and coding practices Silverlight gives to you as a developer that sets it apart from other web-development tools.

This book is for anyone with an interest in web development. A basic familiarity with web development and simple C# coding is useful, but by no means a requirement. This book will teach you everything that you need to know.

Robert Lair is the president/CEO of Intensity Software, Inc. and has been working with Microsoft .NET technologies since prior to its initial release in 2000. Among his accomplishments, Robert was on the team that created the original ASP.NET sample application IBuySpy, used to demonstrate the power of ASP.NET. Robert is an active speaker and writer in the development community.