The only real tool for developing cross-platform rich Internet applications (RIAs) for that last 11 years has been Flash; until now! Silverlight 3 allows you to develop cross-platform rich Internet applications in a fraction of the time because of the extensive and very powerful .NET 3.5 libraries, the powerful, design friendly Blend 3 IDE, and an enhanced workflow that allows designers and developers to work on the same set of files at the same time. Develop stunning RIAs in a short time. Learn some basic object-oriented programming principles. Get familiar with the Blend 3 development environment.

Foundation Expression Blend 4 with Silverlight takes you through your first steps in creating rich Internet applications (RIAs) using the latest release of Microsoft’s technology. You’ll explore features such as custom user controls that you can reuse throughout your projects and the media element that allows you to easily add sound and video to your applications. Silverlight 4 enables you to rapidly develop compelling, cross-platform RIAs using the extensive .NET 4 libraries, the powerful, design friendly Blend 4 integrated development environment (IDE), and an enhanced workflow that allows designers and developers to work on the same set of files at the same time. At the end, you’ll put everything you have learned together to create a sample Silverlight 4 website. Whether you’re an experienced .NET or web developer, or you’re just starting out, this book will provide you with all you need to create RIAs with Expression Blend 4. Develop stunning RIAs in a short time using Blend 4 and Silverlight 4. Learn basic object-oriented programming principles. Get familiar with the Blend 4 development environment.

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; and 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 groundbreaking new features of the Silverlight technology. The growing popularity of Web 2.0 applications is increasing user expectations for high-quality web site design, presentation, and functionality. It was into this climate that Microsoft released Silverlight 3, the third iteration of its cross-browser web presentation technology and the second to ride on top of the .NET platform. Beginning Sliverlight 3 brings you to the cutting-edge of Web 2.0 application design and includes plenty of practical guidance to get you started straightaway.

Provides information on creating rich user interfaces for Microsoft Silverlight-based applications with Microsoft Expression Blend 4 --

Expression Blend was Microsoft’s first entry into the web application and design space; the first time they trod on Adobe Flash’s toes. They got a lot of things right, and started to carve out a market, but they didn’t get the crossover numbers they wanted. Blend 2 is where they put that right. It is a huge improvement over Blend. This book details everything a designer or developer needs to know to start developing web applications in Blend.

Silverlight Recipes: A Problem-Solution Approach is your practical companion to developing rich, interactive web applications with Microsoft's latest technology. This book tackles common problems and scenarios that on-the-job developers face every day by revealing code and detailed solutions. You’ll quickly be able to integrate real-world, functioning code into your applications—and save hours of coding time. The recipes included in Silverlight Recipes: A Problem-Solution Approach have been carefully selected and tested with the professional developer in mind. You'll find problems stated clearly and succinctly, artful solutions explored, and ample discussion of the code and context so you're immediately clear how the solution will support your project. Enjoy practical coverage of Silverlight development in many projects and contexts, including: Designing complete, rich, interactive user experiences Manipulating content and the runtime environment through the Silverlight Plug-in Runtime API Consuming, transforming, and displaying content in your Silverlight web application through XML, LINQ-based data access, and isolated storage Building custom controls for your Silverlight project Integrating rich media, including audio and video, to create a very dynamic user interface and experience Using new Silverlight features, including .NET Framework integration, the use of dynamic languages like Python and Ruby in Silverlight development, and digital rights management support Find instant solutions, comprehensive Silverlight coverage, and time-saving expert advice, all in Silverlight Recipes: A Problem-Solution Approach.

Silverlight is a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in for delivering the next generation of .NET based media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web Author frequently speaks at industry conferences

Business intelligence (BI) software is the code and tools that allow you to view different components of a business using a single visual platform, making comprehending mountains of data easier. Applications that include reports, analytics, statistics, and historical and predictive modeling are all examples of BI applications. Currently, we are in the second generation of BI software, called BI 2.0. This generation is focused on writing BI software that is predictive, adaptive, simple, and interactive. As computers and software have evolved, more data can be presented to end users with increasingly visually rich techniques. Rich Internet application (RIA) technologies such as Microsoft Silverlight can be used to transform traditional user interfaces filled with boring data into fully interactive analytical applications to deliver insight from large data sets quickly. Furthermore, RIAs include 3D spatial design capabilities that allow for interesting layouts of aggregated data beyond a simple list or grid. BI 2.0 implemented via RIA technology can truly bring out the power of BI and deliver it to an average user via the Web. Next-Generation Business Intelligence Software with Rich Internet Applications provides developers, designers, and architects a solid foundation of BI design and architecture concepts with Microsoft Silverlight. This book covers key BI design concepts and how they can be applied without requiring an existing BI infrastructure. The author, Bart Czernicki, will show you how to build small BI applications by example that are interactive, highly visual, statistical, predictive, and most importantly, intuitive to the user. BI isn't just for the executive branch of a Fortune 500 company; it is for the masses. Let Next-Generation Business Intelligence Software with Rich Internet Applications show you how to unlock the rich intelligence you already have.

This valuable reference—in full color—explains the major new release of Silverlight 3 which is dramatically improved over previous versions and makes the development of powerful Rich Interactive Applications (RIAs) achievable for everyone. Packed with examples and written by a highly-seasoned team of developers and designers, this book guides you through the languages, tools, and techniques that are used to build applications on the Silverlight 3 platform (Build 40522). Each chapter provides a mini-tutorial on the respective topic, and the examples serve to both educate and inspire you. The information in this book is structured to help prepare you for the real-world challenges you may face when building applications on the Silverlight platform. By the end of the book, you’ll have gained a thorough understanding of how Silverlight applications are architected, developed, and designed. This book covers: · XAML basics · Silverlight 3 Tools for Visual Studio 2008, Expression Blend 3 and Silverlight Runtime and SDK Transforming text with render transforms · Using graphics, visuals and adding media for a richer user experience · Building application, making it come alive and responding to user activity · Setting up a control project and using a custom control in an application

This book is for designers, user experience pros, creative directors, developers, or anyone who wants to create rich, interactive, and compelling products. If you want to communicate innovative ideas, research, experiment, and prototype in the language of the interface, Dynamic Prototyping with SketchFlow in Expression Blend is the perfect text. Learn how to sketch, iterate, and validate ideas—utilizing the power and productivity within SketchFlow.