book

Pro Business Applications with Silverlight 4

Name: Pro Business Applications with Silverlight 4
Author: Chris Anderson
ISBN: 9781430272076

by Chris Anderson

August 2010

Intermediate to advanced

572 pages

16h 15m

English

Apress

Read now

Unlock full access

Copyright
About the Author
Acknowledgments
1. Introduction
1.1. Who This Book Is For1.2. About This Book1.3. About the Author1.4. Silverlight Overview1.4.1. What Is Silverlight?1.4.1.1. Market Penetration/Reach1.4.1.2. Focus1.4.1.3. Compatibility1.4.1.4. Windows Phone 71.4.1.5. The Silverlight Runtime1.4.1.6. Out-of-Browser (OOB) Experiences1.4.2. A Short History of Silverlight1.4.2.1. Silverlight 1: September 20071.4.2.2. Silverlight 2: October 20081.4.2.3. Silverlight 3: July 20091.4.2.4. Silverlight 4: April 20101.4.3. What Can Silverlight Bring to Your Business Application?1.4.4. When Should You Not Use Silverlight?1.4.4.1. Comparing Silverlight Applications to HTML-Based Applications1.4.4.2. Comparing Silverlight Applications to Rich Desktop Applications1.4.5. Comparing Silverlight to Other Microsoft Platforms1.4.5.1. WPF1.4.5.2. Windows Forms1.4.5.3. ASP.NET1.4.6. Comparison with Adobe Flash/Flex1.5. Business Applications Overview1.6. Summary
2. Getting Started with Silverlight
2.1. Required Tools2.1.1. Visual Studio2.1.2. Expression Blend 4 and SketchFlow2.1.3. Silverlight 4 Tools2.1.4. WCF RIA Services2.1.5. Silverlight Toolkit2.1.6. SQL Server 2008 Express Edition2.1.7. Silverlight Spy (and .NET Reflector)2.2. Creating a Silverlight Application2.2.1. Silverlight Application2.2.2. Silverlight Navigation Application2.2.3. Silverlight Business Application2.2.4. Silverlight Class Library2.2.5. WCF RIA Services Class Library2.2.6. Silverlight Unit Test Application2.3. Running and Exploring the Default Silverlight Business Application Project2.4. Exploring the Initial Silverlight Project Structure2.4.1. Project Links2.4.2. The Web Application Project Structure2.4.3. The Silverlight Application Project Structure2.5. Recommended Project Template Modifications2.6. XAP Files2.7. Summary
3. An Introduction to XAML
3.1. Overcoming XAML's Steep Learning Curve3.2. Why Learn XAML?3.3. XAML Syntax, Document Structure, and Features3.3.1. Core XAML Syntax3.3.2. Creating an Object Hierarchy3.3.3. Namespaces3.3.4. Assigning Property Values to Controls3.3.4.1. Attribute Syntax3.3.4.2. Content Element Syntax3.3.4.3. Property Element Syntax3.3.4.4. Collection Syntax3.3.5. Attached Properties3.3.6. XAML Namespace Properties3.3.6.1. x:Class3.3.6.2. x:Name3.3.6.3. x:Key3.3.6.4. x:ClassModifier and x:FieldModifier3.3.7. Design-Time Properties3.3.8. Markup Extensions3.3.9. Namescopes3.4. Controls3.4.1. Base Control Classes3.4.1.1. DependencyObject3.4.1.2. UIElement3.4.1.3. FrameworkElement3.4.1.4. Control3.4.1.5. ContentControl3.4.2. Layout Controls3.4.2.1. Canvas3.4.2.2. Grid3.4.2.2.1. Weighted Proportion Sizing3.4.2.2.2. Fixed-Width Sizing3.4.2.2.3. Automatic Sizing3.4.2.2.4. Assigning Controls to Grid Cells3.4.2.3. Stack Panel3.4.2.4. Silverlight Toolkit Layout Controls3.4.3. XAML vs. Windows Forms Controls' Property Names3.4.4. Assigning Event Handlers3.4.4.1. Assigning Event Handlers in XAML in Visual Studio3.4.4.2. Assigning Event Handlers in XAML in Expression Blend3.4.4.3. Routed vs. Direct Events3.4.4.4. Assigning Event Handlers in Code3.4.5. Creating a Simple User Interface3.5. Resources and Resource Dictionaries3.6. Styles3.7. Templates3.8. Data Binding3.8.1. Binding to an Object3.8.2. Binding to a Collection3.9. Designing User Experiences3.10. The Designer/Developer Workflow3.11. XAML User Interfaces: A Different Perspective3.12. Summary
4. The Navigation Framework
4.1. Getting Started with the Navigation Framework4.2. Components of the Navigation Framework4.2.1. The Frame Control4.2.2. The Page Class4.2.3. The NavigationService Object4.2.4. The NavigationContext Object4.3. Navigating Between Views4.3.1. View URIs4.3.2. Navigation Methods on the Frame Control4.3.3. Navigation Methods on the NavigationService Object4.3.4. Using a HyperlinkButton Control4.3.5. Using the Source Property of the Frame Control4.3.6. User-Initiated Navigation4.4. Passing Data Between Views4.4.1. Passing Data Using Query String Parameters4.4.2. Reading Query String Parameters4.4.3. Passing Complex Data Types Between Views4.5. Deep Links4.6. URI Mapping to Enable Friendly URIs4.7. Integrating with the Browser History4.8. Handling Navigation Events4.8.1. Frame Events4.8.2. View Events4.9. Caching Views4.10. Visual Transition Effects4.11. Alternative User Interface Frameworks4.12. Summary
5. Exposing Data from the Server: Using WCF RIA Services
5.1. What Is WCF RIA Services?5.2. How the WCF RIA Services Code Generator Works5.3. How Do You Use WCF RIA Services?5.3.1. Linking Your Silverlight and Web Projects5.3.2. Creating Your Domain Services5.3.3. Creating Domain Operations on Your Domain Services5.3.4. Consuming the Domain Services5.4. Getting Started5.5. Creating a Data Access Layer Using the Entity Framework5.5.1. Configuring the Database5.5.2. About the Entity Framework5.5.3. Creating an Entity Model5.6. Domain Services5.6.1. Understanding the Domain Service Life Cycle5.6.2. Creating a Domain Service5.6.2.1. Entity Selection5.6.2.2. Enabling Client Access5.6.2.3. Exposing an OData Endpoint5.6.2.4. Generating Associated Classes for Metadata5.6.2.5. Creating the ProductService Domain Service5.7. Domain Operations5.7.1. Query Operations5.7.1.1. Returning a Collection of Entities5.7.1.2. Returning a Single Entity5.7.1.3. Naming/Signature Convention5.7.2. Insert/Update/Delete Operations5.7.2.1. Naming/Signature Convention5.7.2.2. Example Insert/Update/Delete Operations5.7.3. Invoke Operations5.7.3.1. Naming/Signature Convention5.7.3.2. An Example Invoke Operation5.7.4. Custom Operations5.7.4.1. Naming/Signature Convention5.7.4.2. An Example Custom Operation5.8. Decorating Entities5.8.1. Metadata Classes5.8.2. Controlling Client Entity Generation5.8.2.1. Including/Excluding Properties5.8.2.2. Including/Excluding Associated Entities5.8.2.3. Enabling Associated Entities to Be Editable5.8.3. Validation5.8.3.1. Predefined Validation Attributes5.8.3.2. Custom Property Validation Attributes5.8.3.3. Custom Class Validation Attributes5.8.4. Presentation5.8.5. Miscellaneous Data Annotations5.9. Presentation Model Types5.9.1. Creating the Presentation Model Class5.9.2. Populating and Exposing Your Presentation Model Types5.9.3. Updating Your Presentation Model Types5.10. Sharing Code/Logic Across Tiers5.11. Inspecting the Generated Code in the Silverlight Project5.12. Encapsulating Logic in a Separate WCF RIA Services Class Library5.13. Handling Server Errors5.14. Handling Data Concurrency Violations5.14.1. Methods of Identifying Concurrency Violations5.14.2. Configuring the Entity Model to Check for Concurrency Violations5.14.3. Testing Your Solution5.14.4. Resolving Conflicts in the Domain Service5.15. Transactions5.16. WCF RIA Services Toolkit5.17. Alternative Communication Technologies5.17.1. WCF Services5.17.1.1. Configuring Bindings5.17.1.2. Consuming a WCF Service5.17.1.3. Common Pitfalls5.17.1.3.1. Maximum Message Size5.17.1.3.2. ASP.NET Session State5.17.1.4. Sharing Code, Business Objects, and Logic Between the Server and Client5.17.2. WCF Data Services5.17.2.1. Data Services vs. RIA Services5.17.2.2. Using Data Services5.17.3. HTTP Requests5.17.3.1. Making an HTTP Request5.17.3.2. Choosing a Networking Stack5.17.4. Sockets5.18. Summary
6. Implementing Summary Lists
6.1. Exposing a Summary Collection from the Server6.2. Collections and Collection Views6.2.1. ObservableCollection<T>6.2.2. Views6.2.2.1. The CollectionViewSource6.2.2.2. The PagedCollectionView6.2.2.3. DomainDataSourceView6.3. Consuming Data from the Server6.3.1. Understanding the Domain Context6.3.2. XAML-Based Approach6.3.3. Code-Based Approach6.3.4. Choosing the Right Approach6.3.5. Explicitly Specifying a Domain Service Host6.3.6. Using the BusyIndicator Control6.4. Displaying the Summary List6.4.1. Retrieving the Data from the Server6.4.1.1. The XAML-Based Approach6.4.1.2. The Code-Based Approach6.4.2. Configuring and Customizing a Control for Displaying Data6.4.2.1. Configuring and Customizing a DataGrid Control6.4.2.1.1. Configuring DataGrid Columns6.4.2.1.2. Creating Column Definitions the Easy Way6.4.2.1.3. Displaying an Image in a Column6.4.2.1.4. Creating Calculated Columns6.4.2.1.5. Editing Data in the DataGrid6.4.2.1.6. Additional Built-In Behaviors6.4.2.2. Configuring and Customizing a ListBox Control6.4.2.2.1. Templating List Items6.4.2.2.2. Customizing the Layout of the Items6.4.2.2.3. Limitations of the ListBox Control6.4.3. Choosing the Right Control6.5. Manipulating Summary Lists6.5.1. Querying Data Exposed by a Domain Operation6.5.2. Filtering the Summary List6.5.2.1. DomainDataSource Method6.5.2.2. Domain Context Method6.5.2.3. PagedCollectionView Method6.5.3. Sorting the Summary List6.5.3.1. DomainDataSource Method6.5.3.2. Domain Context Method6.5.3.3. PagedCollectionView Method6.5.4. Grouping the Summary List6.5.4.1. DomainDataSource Method6.5.4.2. Domain Context Method6.5.4.3. PagedCollectionView Method6.5.5. Paging the Summary List6.5.5.1. DomainDataSource Method6.5.5.2. Domain Context Method6.5.5.3. PagedCollectionView Method6.6. Drilling Down on a Record6.6.1. Opening Details in a New View6.6.2. Opening Details in a Pop-Up Window6.6.3. Displaying Details Using the DataGrid's Row Details6.6.4. Implementing a Master/Details View6.7. Handling Errors6.8. Summary
7. Building Data Entry Forms
7.1. Creating the Data Entry User Interface7.1.1. Laying Out the Data Entry Form7.1.1.1. Using the Data Sources Window7.1.1.2. Using XAML Power Toys7.1.1.3. Using the DataForm Control7.1.1.3.1. Creating a DataForm Control with Automatically Generated Fields7.1.1.3.2. Creating a DataForm Control with Explicitly Defined Fields7.1.1.3.3. Configuring the Labels7.1.1.3.4. The Cancel Button7.1.1.3.5. The AutoEdit and AutoCommit Properties7.1.1.3.6. Customizing the Header7.1.2. Refining the Data Entry Form's Functionality7.1.2.1. Data Input Controls7.1.2.1.1. The TextBox Control7.1.2.1.2. The CheckBox Control7.1.2.1.3. The RadioButton Control7.1.2.1.4. The ComboBox Control7.1.2.1.5. The List Control7.1.2.1.6. The Date Input Controls7.1.2.1.7. The Time Input Controls7.1.2.1.8. The Up/Down Controls7.1.2.1.9. The AutoCompleteBox Control7.1.2.1.10. The Label Control7.1.2.2. Setting the Tab Order7.1.2.3. Setting Focus7.1.2.4. Getting Focused Control7.1.2.5. Checking Whether Items Have Changed7.1.3. Using the DataGrid for Data Entry7.1.3.1. Adding a Row7.1.3.2. Inserting a Row7.1.3.3. Spreadsheet-Like Editing7.1.3.4. Maintaining an Empty Row for the Entry of New Records7.1.3.5. Deleting the Selected Rows7.1.3.6. Adding a Delete Button to Each Row7.2. Structuring Objects for Use by Data Entry Forms7.2.1. Implementing the INotifyPropertyChanged Interface7.2.1.1. Basic Implementation (with "Magic Strings")7.2.1.2. Using Reflection Instead of Magic Strings7.2.1.3. Using Reflection to Validate Magic Strings in Debug Mode7.2.1.4. Using Lambda Expressions Instead of Magic Strings7.2.2. Implementing the IEditableObject Interface7.2.2.1. Implementing the BeginEdit Method7.2.2.2. Implementing the EndEdit Method7.2.2.3. Implementing the CancelEdit Method7.2.2.3.1. Manually Assigning Property Values7.2.2.3.2. Assigning Property Values Using Reflection7.2.2.4. Using the IEditableObject Methods7.2.3. Adding Calculated Properties to Your Classes7.3. Data Validation7.3.1. Displaying Validation Errors7.3.1.1. Data Entry Controls7.3.1.2. The ValidationSummary Control7.3.1.3. The DataForm Control7.3.1.4. The DataGrid Control7.3.2. Types of Data Validation7.3.3. Defining Validation Rules7.3.4. Exposing Validation Errors to the User Interface7.3.4.1. Validation by Exception7.3.4.2. The IDataErrorInfo Interface7.3.4.3. The INotifyDataErrorInfo Interface7.3.4.4. Deciding Which Method to Use7.3.5. Notifying the User Interface of Object-Level Validation Errors7.3.6. The Validator Class7.3.6.1. Validating Properties7.3.6.2. Validating Objects7.3.7. Customizing Validation Attribute Error Messages7.4. Submitting Changes to the Server7.4.1. Change-Tracking7.4.2. Submitting Changes via the DomainDataSource Control7.4.3. Submitting Changes via a Domain Context7.4.4. Handling Errors7.4.5. Handling Concurrency Violations7.5. Summary

8. Securing Your Application
8.1. Implementing Server-Side Security Using RIA Services8.1.1. The ASP.NET Membership API8.1.2. Configuring Your Database for Forms Authentication8.1.3. Authentication8.1.4. Requiring Authentication8.1.5. Role-Based Operation Access Restrictions8.1.6. Returning a Subset of Data Based on the User's ID or Role8.1.7. Permitting Update/Delete Operations According to Data8.1.8. Exposing Custom User Profile Data8.1.9. User Registration8.1.10. Avoiding SQL Injection Attacks8.1.11. Sanitizing Errors Sent to the Client8.2. Implementing Client-Side Security8.2.1. Authenticating and Registering Users8.2.2. Accessing and Updating User Information8.2.3. Implementing Client-Side Restrictions8.2.4. Storing Data Locally8.3. Encrypting Data Passed Between the Server and the Client8.4. Cross-Domain Access Policies8.4.1. Implementing Cross-Domain Policies for HTTP-Based Communication8.4.2. Implementing Cross-Domain Policies for Socket-Based Communication8.4.3. Implementing Cross-Scheme Access Policies8.5. Restricting Access to Your Application8.6. Summary
9. Styling Your Application
9.1. The Designer/Developer Workflow9.2. Defining Style Resources9.2.1. Defining a Style Resource9.2.1.1. Explicit Styles9.2.1.2. Implicit Styles9.2.2. Defining Style Resources at Various Locations9.2.2.1. At the View Level9.2.2.2. At the Application Level9.2.2.3. As a Resource Dictionary9.2.2.4. As a Resource Dictionary in a Referenced Assembly9.2.2.5. In Generic.xaml9.2.3. Naming Style Resources9.2.4. Inheriting Style Resources9.2.5. Styling Constraints9.3. Control Templates9.3.1. Default Control Templates9.3.2. Templating a Control9.3.3. Control Template Structure9.3.3.1. Visual States9.3.3.2. State Transitions9.3.3.3. Visual State Groups9.3.3.4. Template Parts9.4. Theming9.4.1. Creating a Custom Theme9.4.2. Silverlight Toolkit Themes9.4.3. Silverlight Navigation/Business Application Themed Project Templates9.5. Icons and Images9.6. Animation9.7. Pixel Shaders / Effects9.8. Miscellaneous Styling Tips9.8.1. Defining Constants in XAML9.8.2. Restoring a Control's Default Style9.9. Summary
10. Advanced XAML and Data Binding
10.1. Advanced XAML10.1.1. Comments in XAML10.1.2. Defining Constants10.1.3. Using OR to Combine Enumerated Values in XAML10.1.4. Triggers, Actions, and Behaviors10.1.4.1. Using Predefined Triggers and Actions10.1.4.1.1. Adding the Required Assembly References10.1.4.1.2. Understanding how Triggers and Actions Interact10.1.4.1.3. Configuring Triggers and Actions using Expression Blend10.1.4.1.4. Implementing Triggers and Actions by Hand in XAML10.1.4.2. Creating a Custom Trigger10.1.4.3. Creating a Custom Action10.1.4.4. Creating and Using Behaviors10.1.4.5. Which Should I Use?10.1.5. Blendability10.1.5.1. The Design-Time Data Mechanisms10.1.5.2. Defining the Shape of the Data10.1.5.3. Using Sample Data10.1.6. Creating Consolidated Namespaces10.1.7. MoXAML Power Toys10.2. Advanced Data Binding10.2.1. Assigning the Source of a Binding10.2.1.1. Using the Binding's Source Property10.2.1.2. ElementName Binding10.2.1.3. RelativeSource Binding10.2.1.4. Binding a Control Property to its Data Context10.2.1.5. Binding to a Property in the View's Code-Behind10.2.2. Binding to a Resource10.2.2.1. Creating a Class to Bind To10.2.2.2. Instantiating the Class as a Resource in XAML10.2.2.3. Binding to the Resource10.2.2.4. Automatically Creating and Binding the Resource Using the Data Sources Window10.2.3. Defining Resources in the Code-Behind (For Binding To)10.2.4. Binding to Nested Properties10.2.5. Binding to Indexed Properties10.2.6. Binding to Collection Views10.2.6.1. Binding to Objects in a PagedCollectionView10.2.6.1.1. Creating the Object Collection10.2.6.1.2. Instantiating the Class as a Resource and Binding to It10.2.6.1.3. How Does This Example Work?10.2.6.2. Binding to Objects in a CollectionViewSource10.2.7. Enhancing Data Binding10.2.7.1. String Formatting10.2.7.2. Alternative Value When a Source Property Value is Null10.2.7.3. Fallback Values10.2.7.4. UpdateSourceTrigger10.2.7.5. Value Converters10.2.7.5.1. Creating a Simple Value Converter10.2.7.5.2. Using a Value Converter10.2.7.5.3. Passing a Parameter to the Value Converter10.2.7.5.4. Passing a Culture to a Value Converter10.2.7.5.5. Passing an Entire Object to a Value Converter10.2.8. Data Binding in Code10.2.9. Getting and Setting Attached Property Values in Code10.2.10. Additional Tips10.2.10.1. Visual Studio 2010 Data Binding Expression Builder10.2.10.2. Debugging Data Binding Issues10.2.10.3. Binding Using Property Element Syntax10.2.10.4. MultiBinding10.3. Summary
11. Creating Custom Controls
11.1. Adding Functionality to an Existing Control11.2. Creating User Controls11.2.1. Creating a Simple User Control11.2.2. Exposing Properties11.2.2.1. Standard Properties11.2.2.2. Dependency Properties11.2.2.2.1. Why Do We Need Dependency Properties?11.2.2.2.2. Registering a Dependency Property11.2.2.2.3. Getting and Setting a Dependency Property Value11.2.2.2.4. Creating a Standard CLR Property Wrapper11.2.2.2.5. Dependency Property Metadata11.2.2.2.6. Value Precedence11.2.2.2.7. Simplifying Creating Dependency Properties11.2.2.2.8. Obtaining the Local Value11.2.2.2.9. Resetting a Dependency Property's Value11.2.2.2.10. Dependency Properties in Summary11.2.2.3. Consuming the Property Values in Your Control11.2.2.4. Type Converters11.2.2.5. Implementing the ISupportInitialize Interface11.2.3. Exposing Methods11.2.4. Exposing Events11.2.5. Determining If in Design-Time or Runtime Mode11.2.6. Constraining the User Control's Size11.3. Creating Custom Controls11.3.1. Creating the Custom Control11.3.2. The Control Structure11.3.3. Defining the Control's Default Template11.3.3.1. Creating/Editing the Control Template in Expression Blend11.3.3.2. Creating the Base State11.3.3.3. Identifying States and Organizing Them Into State Groups11.3.3.4. Implementing the States11.3.3.5. Adding State Transition Animations11.3.3.6. Defining Template Parts11.3.3.7. Binding to Properties in the Code11.3.3.7.1. One-Way Binding with the TemplateBinding Markup Extension11.3.3.7.2. Two-Way Binding Using the RelativeSource Markup Extension11.3.3.8. Splitting Your Generic.xaml File Into Smaller Pieces11.3.4. Defining the Control's Behavior11.3.4.1. Defining the Contract11.3.4.2. Connecting the Code and the Default Control Template11.3.4.3. Handling Events for Elements Defined in the Control Template (in the Code)11.3.4.4. Transitioning Between States11.3.4.5. Implementing the WaitIndicator's Behavior11.3.4.6. Testing the Control11.4. Content Controls11.4.1. Containing a Single Control as Content11.4.2. Containing Multiple Controls as Content11.4.3. Attached Properties11.5. Summary
12. The Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM) Design Pattern
12.1. The Purpose of Implementing MVVM12.2. Why You Should Implement MVVM12.3. MVVM Theory12.3.1. The Layers12.3.1.1. Views12.3.1.2. Models12.3.1.3. View Models12.3.2. View / View Model Configurations12.3.2.1. One View Model Serving Multiple Views12.3.2.2. One View Interacting with Multiple View Models12.4. MVVM in Practice12.4.1. Creating the Layers12.4.1.1. Creating the View12.4.1.2. Creating the Model12.4.1.3. Creating the View Model12.4.2. Connecting the Layers12.4.2.1. Connecting the Models to the View Models12.4.2.2. Connecting the View Model to the View12.4.3. View and ViewModel Interactions12.4.3.1. Pulling Data into the View from the ViewModel12.4.3.2. Enabling the View to Invoke an Operation (Method) on the View Model12.4.3.2.1. Actions/Behaviors12.4.3.2.2. Commands12.4.3.2.3. Actions/Behaviors vs. Commands12.4.3.3. Enabling the View to Respond to an Event in the View Model12.4.4. Layer Interaction Summary12.4.5. Hotly Debated Implementation Details12.4.5.1. Should Model Objects be Exposed Directly to the View?12.4.5.2. Should View Models Copy Data to and from the Models?12.4.5.3. What Should Come First, the View or the View Model?12.4.5.3.1. ViewModel First12.4.5.3.2. View First12.4.5.3.3. Completely Decoupled12.4.5.4. Should I Use a MVVM Framework?12.4.5.5. Should I Implement Dependency Properties or Standard Properties?12.5. MVVM and RIA Services12.5.1. Implementing the Model12.5.2. Implementing the View Model12.5.3. Implementing the View12.6. Frameworks12.7. Summary
13. Printing and Reporting
13.1. The Importance of Implementing Reporting13.2. Potential Solutions for Implementing Reporting13.2.1. Generating a PDF13.2.2. Generating HTML13.2.3. Generating Office Documents13.2.4. Using Silverlight 4 Printing Functionality13.2.5. Third-Party Report Viewers13.2.5.1. Perpetuum Software's Report Sharp-Shooter for Silverlight13.2.5.2. Telerik's Telerik Reporting13.2.5.3. DevExpress's XtraReports Suite13.2.5.4. First Floor Software's Document Toolkit + Aspose Converter13.2.6. Office Integration Using COM13.3. Choosing a Reporting Strategy13.4. Printing Functionality in Silverlight13.5. Generating and Displaying a PDF Report13.5.1. Generating a Report on the Server13.5.1.1. Choosing a Reporting Tool/Engine13.5.1.2. Choosing an Output Format13.5.1.3. Serving Reports to the Client13.5.1.3.1. Solution Overview13.5.1.3.2. Creating the HTTP Handler13.5.1.3.3. Creating a Report Renderer13.5.1.3.4. Returning Data to Populate the Report13.5.1.3.5. Securing Access to the Report13.5.1.3.6. Deploying the Report Viewer/Engine13.5.2. Displaying the Report on the Client13.5.2.1. Creating the HtmlViewer Control13.5.2.1.1. Solution Overview13.5.2.1.2. The HTML Bridge13.5.2.1.3. Steps to Overlaying an IFrame on Your Application13.5.2.1.4. Additional Features and Functionality13.5.2.2. Using the HtmlViewer Control13.6. Summary
14. Out of Browser Mode, and Interacting with the Operating System
14.1. Out of Browser14.1.1. Configuring OOB Mode14.1.1.1. Window Options14.1.1.2. Install Options14.1.1.3. Miscellaneous Options14.1.2. Installing the Application to Run Out of Browser14.1.3. Determining Installation Status14.1.4. Determining Whether Running Inside or Outside the Browser14.1.5. Where/How is the Application's .xap File Stored and Run?14.1.6. Interacting with the OOB Window14.1.6.1. Closing the Window14.1.6.2. Window State, Position and Dimensions14.1.6.3. Other14.1.7. Checking for Updates14.1.8. Debugging Out of Browser14.1.9. Uninstalling the Application14.1.10. Toast Notifications14.2. Caching Data Locally14.2.1. Caching to Isolated Storage14.2.1.1. Storing Settings in Isolated Storage14.2.1.1.1. Persisting a Value to Isolated Storage14.2.1.1.2. Retrieving a Value from Isolated Storage14.2.1.1.3. Binding to Settings14.2.1.1.4. Enumerating the Settings14.2.1.1.5. Removing Settings14.2.1.2. Storing Files in Isolated Storage14.2.1.2.1. Opening an Isolated Storage Store14.2.1.2.2. Working with Directories14.2.1.2.3. Enumerating Through Files and Directories14.2.1.2.4. Working with Files14.2.1.2.5. Writing a Text File14.2.1.2.6. Writing a Binary File14.2.1.2.7. Reading a Text File14.2.1.2.8. Reading a Binary File14.2.1.2.9. Serializing an Object to a File14.2.1.2.10. Deserializing and Rehydrating an Object from File14.2.1.3. Disk Space Quota14.2.1.4. Encrypting Data14.2.1.5. Compressing Data14.2.1.6. The Sync Framework14.2.2. Caching to a Client-Side Database14.2.2.1.14.2.2.1.1. Sterling14.2.2.1.2. Silverlight Database (SilverDB)14.2.2.1.3. SQLite14.2.2.1.4. Sharp HSql14.2.2.1.5. Commercial Options14.2.2.1.6. Communicating with Local Database Engines14.2.3. Detecting Network Connection Availability14.3. File System Open/Save Dialogs14.3.1. The Open File Dialog14.3.1.1. Displaying the Dialog14.3.1.2. Filtering the Files14.3.1.3. Opening and Reading the Selected File14.3.1.3.1. Opening and Reading Text Files14.3.1.3.2. Opening and Reading Binary Files14.3.1.4. Enabling Multiple File Selection14.3.2. The Save File Dialog14.3.2.1. Displaying the Dialog14.3.2.2. Setting a Default Extension14.3.2.3. Writing to the File14.3.2.3.1. Writing a Text File14.3.2.3.2. Writing a Binary File14.4. Drag Drop Target14.5. Clipboard14.6. Full Screen14.6.1. Initiating Full Screen Mode14.6.2. Detecting the Switch to and from Full Screen Mode14.6.3. Retaining Full Screen Mode When Unfocused14.6.4. Keyboard Access14.7. Elevated Trust14.7.1. Enabling Elevated Trust14.7.2. File System Access14.7.2.1. Getting the Path of a Special Folder14.7.2.2. Enumerating Files and Directories within a Folder14.7.2.3. Determining Whether a File or Folder Exists14.7.2.4. Reading Data from a File14.7.2.5. Saving Data to a File14.7.2.6. Appending Text to a File14.7.2.7. Creating a New Folder14.7.2.8. Deleting a File14.7.2.9. Copying or Moving a File14.7.2.10. Accessing File/Folder Attributes14.7.3. COM Automation14.7.3.1. Determining Whether COM Automation is Available14.7.3.2. Accessing COM Components14.7.3.3. Determining Whether a COM Component is Available14.7.3.4. Using the Windows Script Host Object14.7.3.5. Reading and Writing Files14.7.3.6. Automating Office Applications14.7.3.7. Handling COM Events14.7.3.8. Communicating with Local Databases14.7.3.9. Accessing Local Hardware Devices14.7.3.10. Creating and Installing your own COM Component14.7.4. Custom Chrome14.7.4.1. Moving the Window14.7.4.2. Resizing the Window14.7.5. Other Restrictions Lifted By Elevated Trust14.7.6. Restrictions Imposed by Elevated Trust14.7.7. Disabling Elevated Trust Applications with a Windows Group Policy14.8. Summary
15. Application Deployment
15.1. Deploying the Application to the Server15.1.1. Server Requirements15.1.1.1. Server Operating System and Web Server15.1.1.2. RIA Services15.1.1.2.1. Installing RIA Services Assemblies to the GAC15.1.1.2.2. Installing RIA Services Assemblies to the Bin Directory15.1.1.3. Cross-Domain Policy File15.1.2. Using Xcopy15.1.3. Publishing15.1.4. Creating a Web Package15.1.5. Creating a Setup Program15.2. Deploying the Application to the Client15.2.1. The Default Silverlight Installation Process15.2.2. Customizing the Silverlight Installation Experience15.2.2.1. Why You Should Customize the Silverlight Installation Experience15.2.2.2. Seeing What the User Sees Without Silverlight Installed15.2.2.3. Implementing a Custom Landing Page15.2.2.4. Further Guidance15.2.3. Pushing the Silverlight Runtime to Users in the Enterprise15.2.4. Building a Client Desktop Installer15.3. Improving on the Default Application Loading Screen15.3.1. Creating the Application Pre-loader Files15.3.2. Designing the Application Pre-loader15.3.3. Updating the Application Download Progress15.3.4. Configuring the Application Pre-loader in the HTML File15.3.5. Testing the Application Pre-loader15.3.5.1. Adding a Large File to the Silverlight Project15.3.5.2. Not Assigning the Application's RootVisual15.3.5.3. Using Fiddler15.4. Partitioning Your Application15.4.1. Initial Steps15.4.2. Assembly Caching15.4.2.1. Why Use Assembly Caching15.4.2.2. How Assembly Caching Works15.4.2.3. Enabling Your Own Assemblies to be Cached15.4.3. Downloading Modules on Demand15.4.3.1. Downloading Modules on Demand Using Prism15.4.3.2. Downloading Modules on Demand Using MEF15.4.3.3. Downloading Modules on Demand Using the Navigation Framework15.5. Digitally Signing Your Application15.6. Summary

Overview

Silverlight 4 has the potential to revolutionize the way we build business applications. With its flexibility, web deployment, cross-platform capabilities, rich .NET language support on the client, rich user interface control set, small runtime, and more, it comes close to the perfect platform in which to build business applications. It's a very powerful technology, and despite its relative youth, it's moving forward at a rapid pace and is gaining widespread adoption.

This book will guide you through the process of designing and developing enterprise-strength business applications in Silverlight 4 and C#. You will learn how to take advantage of the power of Silverlight to develop rich and robust business applications, from getting started to deployment, and everything in between.

In particular, this book will serve developers who want to learn how to design business applications, and tackle the issues that you'll face, and how to resolve them. Chris Anderson demonstrates his experience through a candid presentation of how to approach real-life implementation decisions.

With this book in hand, you will

Create a fully functional business application in Silverlight
Discover how to satisfy all of the common requirements that most business applications share

Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month,
and much more.

Read now

Unlock full access

More than 5,000 organizations count on O’Reilly

O’Reilly covers everything we've got, with content to help us build a world-class technology community, upgrade the capabilities and competencies of our teams, and improve overall team performance as well as their engagement.

Julian F.

Head of Cybersecurity

I wanted to learn C and C++, but it didn't click for me until I picked up an O'Reilly book. When I went on the O’Reilly platform, I was astonished to find all the books there, plus live events and sandboxes so you could play around with the technology.

Addison B.

Field Engineer

I’ve been on the O’Reilly platform for more than eight years. I use a couple of learning platforms, but I'm on O'Reilly more than anybody else. When you're there, you start learning. I'm never disappointed.

Amir M.

Data Platform Tech Lead

I'm always learning. So when I got on to O'Reilly, I was like a kid in a candy store. There are playlists. There are answers. There's on-demand training. It's worth its weight in gold, in terms of what it allows me to do.

Mark W.

Embedded Software Engineer

Pro Business Applications with Silverlight 5

Publisher Resources

ISBN: 9781430272076Purchase book

Cloud Computing

Data Engineering

Data Science

AI & ML

Programming Languages

Software Architecture

IT/Ops

Security

Design

Business

Soft Skills