.NET trainer and consultant Andrew Troelsen has managed to fit a complete training workshop within the pages of his latest book, Silverlight 4 Lab. Troelsen’s tested methods provide a deep treatment of the subject in an accessible manner, using focused chapters that will challenge and elevate experienced .NET developers to a high level of competence in Silverlight 4. Using the effective teaching and presentation techniques imparted in this book, you'll quickly be on your way to mastering the latest version of Silverlight and all of the new innovations it offers, including right-click event handling, a new printing API, and support for the Managed Extensibility Framework.

Each chapter begins with a focused “traditional treatment” in which the scope of the chapter and the topics it covers are discussed and the course of the training lab laid out. Once the stage has been set, the bulk of the chapter takes the form of a hands-on lab that walks you deeply through the topic in a highly experiential manner, with new techniques and concepts explained clearly as you progress. This focused approach targets experienced .NET developers who already possess a good knowledge of C# and an outline understanding of Silverlight. Starting at this level allows you to dive deeply into the subject from the very beginning.

What you’ll learn

• The syntax and semantics of Silverlight 4 and what it takes to write good code
• How to create media-rich web content (graphics, animations, audio-video integration)
• How to use the Silverlight 4 data-binding model and CLR/base class library support (including WCF, isolated storage, and threading)
• How to utilize the ASP.NET Silverlight web controls to augment your existing sites
• Best practices for Visual Studio, Microsoft Expression Blend, and other Silverlight programming tools
• Details on new features, including H.264 protected content, right-click event handling, a new printing API, and support for the Managed Extensibility Framework

Who this book is for

This book is for competent .NET developers who are adopting Silverlight. It is assumed you are comfortable with C# and the fundamentals of .NET architecture. If in doubt, a primer such as Accelerated C# will bring you up to speed with the necessary skills before you tackle these training labs.