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Silverlight 2 Update - Get the Developer Version
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The latest Silverlight 2 update (Silverlight 2 GDR 1 (2.0.40115.0)) failed to install on my machine because it detected that I already had the developer version.
The error message and redirect to the correct file are well engineered, but developers can save some time by going straight to this page:
http://www.microsoft.com/silverlight/resources/help.aspx?errorID=1512
Ken
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Source Code for Creating a Silverlight 2 Data Form Released
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I've release the source code from my screencast series on Creating a Silverlight 2 Data Form at the MSDN Code Gallery. On the Downloads tab, you'll find several files for VB and C# projects. The basic source code is the same, but the large downloads include the Northwind database and (even larger) binaries that would be a pain for people who have restricted-bandwidth.
The C# translation is courtesy of José Luis Quintero Méndez (http://www.elquintero.net).
As a reminder, you can find a list of the screencast episodes here:
http://cid-5ba3283f955d0a0f.profile.live.com/Lists/cns!5BA3283F955D0A0F!118/
My personal need to explore Silverlight data handling certainly has resonated with a large audience. Silverlight Streaming reports over 25 thousand hits as I write this! While gratified by the number of hits, the level of feedback is surprisingly low. Don't forget that there's a dedicated discussion newsgroup at http://silverlightdataformserie.groups.live.com/ .
Thanks very much to SilverlightShow for featuring my series and to Silverlight Cream for keeping the community up-to-date. For some reason, Silverlight.NET hasn't given my work a mention, but my friend Beth Massi kindly featured it on MSDN's VB site.
BTW, Episode 9 will be much delayed (no ETA) as I wait for bug reports and throw myself into a new ASP.NET contract starting Monday. The project as it stands does what I set out to accomplish, but there's always more to do.
What I find totally remarkable is that creating the series cost me absolutely nothing - except for my time. I used a complimentary copy of TechSmith's fabulous Camtasia Studio software to develop the tutorials. Microsoft's Visual Web Developer 2008 Express is free, as is Silverlight Streaming.
Ken
Microsoft MVP [ASP.NET]
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Silverlight 2 Data Form - Episode 8: Client Storage
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In Episode 8, we continue working with the AutoCompleteBox control that we implemented in Episode 7. This time, we fetch a long list of country names as XML from a third-party Web service, cache the file on the client using isolated storage, and harness LINQ to XML to retrieve the country names. One of the considerations is checking Silverlight's access to the remote data. Finally, you learn how to use (and re-use) a static resource within XAML markup.
I'm currently collecting topics for a ninth episode. My intention is to make it a bug fix screencast based on feedback, so send in those reports! It will likely also cover usability issues like implementing tabs and tooltips.
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A Better Way to do Silverlight Databinding
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The guys at Intersoft Solutions are ahead of the curve again with their Intersoft Data Source control for Silverlight. The CTP includes the AstoriaDataSource that connects cleanly to an ADO.NET Data service.
Rather than jumping through hoop after hoop to do asychronous calls and returned results, the control lets you do CRUD operations in only a few lines of code:
AstoriaDataSource1.Delete("Customers", CustomerGrid.SelectedItem);
I haven't figured out how to do cascading deletes yet with this control, such as deleting a customer from the Northwind database. (I cover the old manual way in Episode 5: 'D' is for Delete of my Silverlight 2 Data Form series.)
With the Intersoft control, you use declarative binding by configuring the control in the markup, much the way you do with ASP.NET data controls:
<ISNet_Silverlight_DataSource:AstoriaDataSource
x:Name="AstoriaDataSource1" Grid.Row="2"
ServiceHost="http://localhost:53948" ServiceTarget="NorthwindDataService.svc"
ReferenceNamespace="NorthwindDataReference" ServiceTypeName="NorthwindEntities"
Selected="AstoriaDataSource1_Selected"
Inserted="AstoriaDataSource1_Inserted"
Updated="AstoriaDataSource1_Updated"
Deleted="AstoriaDataSource1_Deleted">
<ISNet_Silverlight_DataSource:AstoriaDataSource.Services>
<ISNet_Silverlight_DataSource:AstoriaDataService
DataObjectTypeName="Customers" ServiceName="Customers"/>
<ISNet_Silverlight_DataSource:AstoriaDataService
DataObjectTypeName="Products" ServiceName="Products"/>
<ISNet_Silverlight_DataSource:AstoriaDataService
DataObjectTypeName="Employees" ServiceName="Employees"/>
</ISNet_Silverlight_DataSource:AstoriaDataSource.Services>
</ISNet_Silverlight_DataSource:AstoriaDataSource>
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Silverlight 2 Data Form - Episode 7: Adding Some Style
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Episode 7 of my series on creating a Silverlight 2 data form concentrates on adding visual appeal.
You implement rounded borders, gradient effects, and import professional styles from the Silverlight Control Toolkit. You also learn how to use the AutoCompleteBox control to prompt users for data input.
[I know that Silverlight Streaming has been quite fragile lately, so the video below isn't always available. Silverlight Streaming is a free service that's still in beta, so please be patient.]