Pro 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.

What you’ll learn

• 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

About the Author

Andrew Troelsen fondly recalls his very first computer, an Atari 400 complete with a tape deck storage device and a black-and-white TV serving as a monitor (which his parents permitted him to have in his bedroom—thanks guys!). He also is grateful to the legacy Compute! magazine, a B.A. degree in mathematical linguistics, and three years of formal Sanskrit. All of these artifacts have greatly influenced his current career.

Andrew is employed with Intertech (intertech.com), a .NET and Java training and consulting center. He has authored a number of books, including Developer's Workshop to COM and ATL 3.0 (Wordware Publishing, 2000), COM and .NET Interoperability (Apress, 2002), and Pro C# 2010 and the .NET 4.0 Platform (Apress, 2010).