Chapter 2. Getting and Installing the Development Tools
You can develop Windows Phone 7 applications using either Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 or Microsoft Expression Blend 4. Microsoft has also provided a free set of software tools, called Windows Phone Developer Tools, which contains all the tools necessary to start writing applications for Windows Phone 7.
GETTING THE INSTALLATION FILES
The official site for Windows Phone 7 developers is http://create.msdn.com/en-US/, where you can find links to download the Developer Tools, documentation, developer guides, and code samples, as well as links to forums and additional resources. Clicking the Download the Developer Tools link will bring you to the page where you can download everything you need to start developing your first Windows Phone 7 (WP7) application.
Which Files Do You Need?
On the download page you have the option of installing the Developer Tools by using a web installer, or downloading an .iso file that you can burn to a CD. If you are going to install the Developer Tools on one or more machines, creating a CD using the .iso will speed up the installation process. It is also a good idea to download and read the release notes prior to beginning the installation process.
Whether you decide to develop Windows Phone 7 applications solely in Silverlight or to develop sophisticated games using XNA, the only thing you need to download and install is the Windows Phone Developer Tools RTW. This installs the following programs:
Visual ...
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