Silverlight 2 Unleashed

Chapter 19 Creating User Controls and Custom Controls

In This Chapter

Creating a Thumbnails Viewer User Control

Creating the Items and Designing a DataTemplate

Creating a MediaInfoDisplay Custom Control

Controls are a convenient way to “pack” functionality and to provide encapsulation, reusability, and testability. When Silverlight was first released, the only control delivered was a TextBlock. Needless to say, it was not easy to create rich applications! Of course, you also had a set of “primitives” such as Rectangles, Ellipses, and even Paths, not to mention the powerful MediaElement. But the point remains, building an application without even a Button or a Slider is tough. Some (such as the team building the video player templates for Expression ...