This book has one primary goal: to get you working in Expression Blend 4 effectively using the features and functionality of the tool. This book is not about XAML, not about code nor explicit work flows. It is about simply dragging, dropping, drawing, and defining the experience and vision for a user interface and rich interactive experience. You will learn how to work with the core features of Blend, edit Styles and Templates, and more importantly, understand what they all mean. You will also work in detail with Parts, States, and Behaviors to understand how collectively they can provide your solutions advanced functionality without the need for code or hand-cranked XAML. Animations and Storyboards will allow you to bring life to your vision, as will working with data efficiently and learning how to create and manage Resources. In short, this book will give you the answers to many questions asked in forums by new and experienced users alike. Microsoft Expression Blend 4 Unleashed is a stunning, full-color resource with hundreds of screenshots and informative figure references. It has also been authored sequentially, to enable you to build your knowledge step-by-step and gain confidence through repartition and fearlessness in discovery. Detailed information on how to… Create, edit, and work effectively with Styles and Templates Master Parts, States, and Behaviors to enable XAML and code free functionality Use Blend’s Animation and Storyboard workflows to bring life to your solutions Create and manage Resource Dictionaries, Skins, and Themes Create sample and live data Implement effective XML, CLR Data binding, and Control Template binding using Expression Blends advanced data support tools Use Blend as part of your designer/developer workflow to create rapid prototypes with SketchFlow Use design resources to start creating solutions for Windows Phone 7 Work with WPF, Silverlight, and Silverlight for Windows Phone 7 platforms

Provides information on creating rich user interfaces for Microsoft Silverlight-based applications with Microsoft Expression Blend 4 --

Pro Expression Blend 4 is for .NET developers and graphical artists who want to learn the ins and outs of the Expression Blend integrated development environment. You may know already that this tool can be used to build Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), Silverlight, and Windows Phone 7 applications; however, this book will take you well beyond the basics and provide you with a detailed examination of key Blend topics, including workspace customization, graphics, layout, styles, themes, data binding, and the use of SketchFlow, giving you an excellent understanding of the Blend product and what it can do for you. Over the course of these eight chapters, you will learn numerous techniques to simplify the authoring of XAML using Blend. These include: Transforming a vector graphic into a custom control template with a few clicks of the mouse Generating complex animations using an integrated timeline editor Visually designing interactive data templates Creating prototypes (via SketchFlow) that can be transformed into production-level code Throughout Pro Expression Blend 4, you'll work with both Blend and .NET code to finalize fully-functional projects that will provide both valuable insights and a sound foundation for your future WPF and Silverlight projects. Each chapter will give you ample opportunity to build .NET software using Blend. However, this is not a programming book, per se. While some examples will require a manageable amount of C# code, this book is squarely focused on helping you gain mastery over the numerous tools, editors, designers, and wizards of the Microsoft Expression Blend IDE.

The impact of an aesthetically pleasing user interface is remarkable. Web site visitors respond eagerly to attractive, easy-to-use designs. This book allows you to create interfaces that encourage visitors.

"Microsoft Visual Studio LightSwitch represents a breakthrough in business application development for Windows clients, the Web, and the cloud. Using this new tool, you can build powerful data-centric applications with far less code than ever before. Microsoft Visual Studio LightSwitch Unleashed is the first comprehensive, start-to-finish guide to this powerful new tool. ... You learn how to use LightSwitch to buld modern, scalable, customized line-of-business applications that automatically leverage technologies such as Silverlight, WCF, and SQL Server Express ..."--Back cover.

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Microsoft Visual Studio 2012 significantly improves developer productivity across virtually all application lifecycle management tasks, while providing first-class support for Windows 8, Windows Phone, WindowsRT, and Windows Azure cloud development. This end-to-end deep dive will help working developers squeeze maximum productivity out of Microsoft’s powerful new toolbox. The authors combine authoritative and detailed information about Microsoft’s latest IDE, with extensive insights and best practices drawn from decades of development experience. Developers will quickly get comfortable with Visual Studio 2012’s revamped interface and discover multiple opportunities to leverage the updated .NET 4.5 platform it supports. By focusing entirely on Visual Studio 2012 Professional, the authors have gone deeper into Microsoft’s core product than ever before. You’ll find expert coverage of everything from debugging through refactoring, automation through enterprise-class development. Throughout, this book’s focus is relentlessly practical: how to apply Microsoft’s tools to build better software, faster. Detailed information on how to... · Use Visual Studio 2012’s new interface to significantly improve your productivity · Make the most of VS 2012’s new WPF-based code editor · Work with solutions, projects, browsers, explorers, and designers · Create modern “Windows Store” applications for Windows 8 and Windows RT apps with VS 2012 and Windows Runtime Library · Develop websites with ASP.NET, ASP.NET MVC, and the Razor View Engine · Create richer, smarter user interfaces for software of all types · Build robust service oriented architecture (SOA)-based systems · Construct data-centric applications with LINQ and Entity Framework · Develop SharePoint and other Microsoft Office business applications · Write Windows Azure applications that live in the cloud · Instrument, analyze, and test your software · Refactor code for greater robustness, maintainability, and performance · Leverage brand-new improvements to Windows Workflow and Windows Communication Foundation Use VS 2012’s one-click web deployment capabilities Extend VS 2012 with Managed Extensibility Framework (MEF) and Automation Object Model