Pro Silverlight 4 in C# Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This book is by far the best resource for Silverlight 4.0. In this version the author added a whopping 273 pages to the last edition. He added chapters on File Access and Out-of-Browser Applications. There is also a new section on commands..
I have bought 3 other books on Silverlight 4, and put together they only contain about 1/8 of the value of this book (you can see which ones they are by Googling ".NET Architecture and Development Book Recommendations 2010 End of Year" and checking out the Shiny Turds Books that do not Cut the Mustard section of the post).
One other Silverlight 4 book that is worth getting is Silverlight 4 in Action
It starts out with an introduction that covers the Visual Studio Silverlight environment. He then gives a short introduction to XAML. The introductions really help those who have no experience get rolling right away.
The author covers every out of the box element in detail (including the DataGrid control and a little on the DataForm control), and includes a nice reference for where the element can be found in the book. He also covers styles and templates, brushes and transforms, shapes and geometries, animation, and layout containers.
The book covers out-of-browser applications, assembly caching, networking, multithreading, isolated storage, browser integration, media and deep zoom, wcf services, the application model, file access, commands, and dependency properties and routed events.
One of the things I like best about the book is it includes a lot of references and material on the Silverlight Toolkit.
The book is very readable for those that like to read cover to cover, but it also makes a great reference.
The downloadable code is very usable and very complete.
This is a must have book for any developer working with Silverlight 4.0.

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Silverlight 4 is Microsoft's cross-browser technology for creating rich user experiences on the Web. Like its predecessor, Silverlight 3, it rides atop the .NET framework for maximum ease of use and coding efficiency. The new technology carries forward much of the work that has been done before and augments it in many important respects, including support for H.264 video, major improvements to the graphics engine (including true 3D rendering), and much richer data-binding options for interfacing with other applications.

Pro Silverlight 4 in C# is an invaluable reference for professional developers wanting to discover the features of Silverlight 4. Author Matthew MacDonald's expert advice guides you through creating rich media applications using Silverlight in the environment you're most productive in-no matter what the target platform.

As you learn about the features that put Silverlight in direct competition with Adobe Flash, such as rich support for 2D and 3D drawing, animations, and media playback, you'll experience the plumbing of .NET and the design model of WPF through Silverlight-all of the same .NET technology that developers use to design next-generation Windows applications. Matthew MacDonald provides a comprehensive tutorial written from professional developer to professional developer, complete with full-color graphics and screenshots.

What you'll learn
Develop rich media applications using Silverlight across browsers and platforms.
Create a project, set up a layout, and use controls.
Handle both 2D and 3D drawing, animation, and media playback through Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF).
Integrate web services support.
Use Silverlight in conjunction with ASP.NET and its interactions with HTML.

Who this book is for
.NET developers encountering Silverlight for the first time. No prior knowledge of WPF or ASP.NET is assumed.

Table of Contents
Introducing Silverlight
XAML
Layout
Dependency Properties and Routed Events
Elements
The Application Model
Navigation
Shapes and Geometries
Brushes, Transforms, and Bitmaps
Animation
Sound, Video, and Deep Zoom
Styles and Behaviors
Templates and Custom Controls
Browser Integration
ASP.NET Web Services
Data Binding
Data Controls
File Access
Multithreading
Networking
Out-of-Browser Applications

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