Course Objectives

Microsoft’s Silverlight is a new client-side web technology that enables the implementation of visually stunning web applications that depend only on a small, easy-to-install plug-in that works in browsers for both Windows and Macintosh. This two-day course provides the programmer with a thorough foundation in Silverlight 1.0. After introducing the Silverlight plug-in and SDK, the course provides an in-depth survey of Extensible Application Markup Language (XAML), which is also the foundation of Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF). The course then shows how to use Silverlight to draw shapes, lines, text and images. The positioning and transformation of elements is covered as is event handling. The course concludes with an introduction to advanced features such as animation, on-demand downloading of content, and the use of video and audio.

Audience: Programmers needing to create web applications using Silverlight.

Prerequisites: A good working knowledge of web application development using HTML and JavaScript. Knowledge of ASP.NET and the .NET Framework is not required.

Course Objectives

Introduction to Silverlight

• What Is Silverlight?
• Silverlight and AJAX
• Silverlight and Flash
• Installing the Silverlight Plug-In
• Silverlight SDK
• Hello Silverlight
• Hello.html
• Hello.xaml
• XAML
• <embed> Tag
• XHTML
• Using JavaScript
• createSilverlight.js
• Using createObjectEx()
• Width and Height in Per Cent
• Providing for User Plug-In Download
• Automatic Plug-In Download
• Interactive Applications
• Using the Document Object Model
• Default.html
• JavaScript Code
• XAML Files

Using XAML

• Windows Presentation Framework
• What Is XAML?
• Missing XML Namespace
• Default Namespace
• <TextBlock> as the Root Element
• Canvas
• An Opaque Ellipse
• Property Element
• Type Converters
• Content Element Syntax
• Implicit Collection Syntax
• Attached Properties
• XAML and JavaScript
• Navigating from the Root Element
• Default.html
• Ellipse.xaml
• createJavaScript.js
• MyScript.js
• Finding an Element by Name
• FindName() Method
• Using an Event Sender
• Specifying a XAML Event
• Event Handler Function
• Generating XAML Dynamically
• XAML and JavaScript Files

Shapes and Lines

• Shapes
• Size and Position
• Rectangle and Ellipse
• Rectangle.xaml
• MyScript.js
• More Shape Properties
• Opacity and Visibility
• Receiving Mouse Events
• Polygon
• Line
• Dashed Lines
• Polyline
• Path
• Arc Segments
• Path Demonstration
• Bezier Curves
• Clipping

Texts and Fonts

• TextBlock
• Text Wrapping
• Font Attributes
• Font Families
• Font Weights
• Additional TextBlock Properties
• Drawing a Hyperlink
• Navigating to a New Page
• TextBlock Dimensions
• Rich Text Content
• Run and LineBreak

Brushes and Images

• Brushes
• Solid Color Brush
• Predefined Color Names
• RGB Color Space
• Enhanced RGB Color Space
• Gradient Brushes
• Linear Gradient Brushes
• Default Gradient Axis
• Horizontal and Vertical Gradient Axis
• Color Interpolation Mode
• Spread Methods
• Repeat and Reflect
• Alpha Channel Changes
• Painting Other Shapes
• Radial Gradient Brushes
• Gradient Origin
• Image Brush
• Using an ImageBrush with Text
• Image
• Stretch Property

Positioning and Transforms

• Positioning
• Moving Elements
• Z-Order
• Clipping
• Transforms
• Translate Transform
• A Dynamic Transform
• Rotate Transform
• Scale Transform
• Skew Transform
• Combining Transforms

Handling Events

• Event Handlers in XAML
• Adding/Removing Event Handlers
• Loaded Event
• Handling the Plug-In onLoad Event
• onLoad Event Handler
• Optional Plug-In Information
• Receiving the Optional Information
• Mouse Events
• MouseEventArgs
• Script Code
• Rubber-Band Drawing
• Naïve Implementation
• drawRect() Helper Function
• Final Implementation
• Drag and Drop
• Drag and Drop – XAML File
• Drag and Drop – Script
• Capturing the Mouse
• Bubbled Events

Advanced Features

• Manual Animation
• Silverlight Animation
• Storyboard Methods
• User Interface
• Double Animation
• Color Animation
• Point Animation
• Downloading Content on Demand
• Creating a Virtual Directory
• Course Home Page
• Audio and Video

Appendix A Learning Resources