The growing popularity of Web 2.0 applications is increasing user
expectations for high-quality website design, presentation, and
functionality. It is into this climate that Microsoft is releasing
Silverlight 5, the latest iteration of its cross-browser web
presentation technology.
Beginning Silverlight 5 in C# brings you to the cutting edge of Web
2.0 application design and includes plenty of practical guidance to get
you started straight away. Silverlight design tools have important
differences compared with 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 role 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 gain a more in-depth
knowledge of some of the features introduced with Silverlight 5,
including H.264 protected content, right-click event handling, a new
printing API, and support for the Managed Extensibility Framework.