Intro to Silverlight

Kevin Grossnicklaus

Introductions

• Kevin Grossnicklaus– SSE - www.SSEinc.com (1998-2009)

• Chief Architect• Software Development Practice Leader

– CAIT (2003-2009)• Instructor

• Email: kvgros@SSEinc.com • Blog:

http://geekswithblogs.net/kgrossnicklaus

Agenda

• History• Silverlight• Tools– Expression Blend 3 w/ Sketchflow– VS.NET 2K8,2010

• Resources• Questions

Brief History of .NET

• 2001 - .NET 1.0 (VS.NET)• 2003 - .NET 1.1 (VS.NET 2K3)• 2005 - .NET 2.0 (VS.NET 2K5)• 2006 - .NET 3.0 (WPF/WCF/WF)• 2008 - .NET 3.5 (VS.NET 2K8)• 2010 - .NET 4.0 (VS.NET 2010)

History of Silverlight

• WPF/E (Everywhere) released in 2006 shortly after .NET 3.0

• MIX 2007 – Announcement that WPF/E was renamed “Silverlight” and Silverlight 1.0 was released

• MIX 2008 – Release of Silverlight 2.0• MIX 2009 – Announcement of

Silverlight 3.0

What is Silverlight?

• Browser Plug-in with a compact version of the .NET framework and the ability to render UI elements via XAML/WPF

Silverlight vs. Flash

Flash Silverlight• Small deployment footprint

via Browser Plug-in• Support for Windows, Mac,

and Linux• Code in ActionScript• Integrates with JavaScript• Adobe Flash as Dev Tool• Heavy animation and multi-

media support• Rich set of existing UI

components• HUGE existing adoption• Many other features

• Larger than Flash but still small and much easier to install than full .NET framework

• Runs on Windows and Mac OSX (plus Linux w/ Moonlight)

• Code in C# or VB.NET• Integrates easily with JavaScript• Easily call any services• VS.NET as Dev Tool• Brings plug-in development to

the .NET development community• Heavy animation and multi-media

support• Rich set of existing UI components• Many other features

UI Options in .NET

• Installed on Desktop–WinForms–WPF

• Browser Based– ASP.NET (w/ AJAX)– ASP.NET MVC– Silverlight– (Mix of the above)

Silverlight Platform Support

• Windows• Mac OSX• Linux support provided by the

Moonlight plug-in developed as part of the Mono project

Silverlight Terminology

• WPF• WCF• XAML• XAP• AJAX• RIA

Silverlight Development Tools

Primary ToolsHelpful Tools

• VS.NET 2008 SP1, 2010

• Silverlight SDK• Expression Blend 2/3

• Kaxaml (www.Kaxaml.com)

• Fiddler (www.fiddler2.com)

Silverlight Resources

Primary Links Misc Links• www.Silverlight.net• www.Asp.net• www.CodePlex.com/Sil

verLight• go-mono.com/

moonlight/

• www.silverlight.net/showcase

• http://karlshifflett.wordpress.com/xaml-power-toys/

• www.codeplex.com/compositewpf

Silverlight Showcase

• www.Silverlight.net/ShowCase

How does Silverlight work?

• Plug-In Installation• Deployment–What is XAP?

• Plug-In Hosting– Server does not require .NET

The Silverlight BCL (CoreCLR)

• OUT:– System.Data– System.Deployment– Traditional XML manipulation using System.Xml

• LINQ to XML instead– Non-Generic collections

• Use Generic’s instead– System.Runtime.Remoting– System.Runtime.InteropServices

• No COM support

• IN:– All native types with full functionality– Full LINQ Support

• Including LINQ to XML– Full support calling services (either ASMX or WCF)– Powerful XAML with rich Silverlight Controls– Same garbage collection, memory management, and assembly management as full runtime– Threading Support– Generics

• DIFFERENT:– Security Model

WPF vs. Silverlight• WPF

– Requires full .NET Framework (3.0+) be installed on client – Only supports Windows– Full access to all local resources – Full rights to local resource due to .NET code access security model– More powerful UI components and flexible UI composition model– More ability to take advantage of local audio/video resources

• i.e. Video and sound cards

• Silverlight– Supported by Plug-In– Supported on other platforms– Same XAML languages for declaring UI– Subset of WPF controls– Subset of .NET framework functionality– Limited access to local resources and constrained to browser sandbox

Key Components of a Silverlight 2.0 Application

• UI = XAML• Logic = C#/VB.NET• Data = Classes• Data Access = WCF Services• Navigation = User Controls

Silverlight Controls

• Out of the Box Controls (Ship w/ framework)

• Silverlight Control Toolkit– Silverlight.Codeplex.com– Similar to AJAX Control Toolkit–Microsoft and Community Supported

Data in Silverlight

• Data Classes– INotifyPropertyChanged

• Generics– i.e. List<Person>

• ObservableCollection– Raises events on change

• XAML Data Binding

Databinding in Silverlight

• Can be declared via Mark-Up extensions in XAML or via code

• Key Code Properties:– DataContext– ItemsSource

• Basic Binding in XAML:– Using “Binding” Markup-Extension

Text=“{Binding NameFirst}”

Silverlight Demo

• Silverlight 3.0 features• Silverlight LOB Application

Expression Blend 3

Expression Blend 3

• Componentized UX behaviors – no coding

• Designing with data• Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator

import• XAML, C# and VB code intellisense • Source code control integration• SketchFlow

SketchFlow

• Breakthrough design prototyping• Visually explore composition and

navigation• Communicate design alternatives to

stakeholders• Solicit their feedback

Visual Studio 2010

Visual Studio 2010

• Modern, enhanced user experience• Democratizing application lifecycle

management• Inspiring developer delight• Great web development experience• Silverlight designer support• Cloud development and deployment• More database support – DB2 & Oracle

DEMOVisual Studio 2010

Available today

• Silverlight 3 & IIS Media Services• Silverlight 3 Tools for Visual Studio

2008• Expression Blend 3• Visual Studio 2010 Beta

Bueller?