Author: Charles PetzoldPublisher: Microsoft Press, 2011Pages: 792ISBN: 978-0735656673Aimed for: C # programmers Rating: 5Pros: An excellent presentation of useful examplesCons: Late introduction of Pivot and Panorama controlsReviewed by: Mike James this is a book about programming Windows 7 Telephone mainly but not exclusively using Silverlight.
The first thing you need to know is that it is available as a free ebook from Microsoft in an issue covering both Silverlight and XNA.
I started reading this book as a PDF file on a Kindle and while it was OK that I was relieved to switch to the printed version as soon as it was available.
This book is by the legendary Charles Petzold who did so much to enable us to get started with creating applications for early Windows.
The task of creating Windows phone apps is not as difficult as working with 16-bit Windows, but it's nice to know that the author has a pedigree.
This describes the design of the phone and how to get started with the development environment.
Soon you have your first Silverlight and XNA minimize your first hello world programs are running.
The good thing about Part 1 is that Silverlight and XNA development go hand in hand.
Each time you do something in Silverlight same problem is handled in XNA.
This dual treatment is a unique feature of this book and I think it helps.
While many programmers will specialize in either Silverlight or XNA, know how the two fit together is enlightening and potentially useful - making them work together can be just what you need.
This said, it is important to realize that if you have programmed Silverlight, WPF or XNA will find many of the themes of the audit.
However, the author can usually say something down to ground that brings even something you know in clear focus.
Chapter 3 on handling touch events are particularly interesting.
None of this is particularly sophisticated, but it is the core and it is well explained.
At the end of part I should have a good earthing in writing programs for WP7 and have a reasonable understanding of the differences between the two approaches to creating apps, and what each is especially good at.
Part II, which begins on page 143, focuses on Silverlight development alone and it is a shame to leave behind XNA, but the good news is that there is a companion volume which deals with XNA.
Much of the discussion in this section is about how XAML and code interact.
Chapter 7 is a good introduction to XAML, and I recommend you read it even if you have used the XAML for a while just to fill in any missing gaps in your knowledge.
Chapter 8 explains some basic use of elements - characters, simple animation, feature films, working with bitmaps and so on.
Chapter 9 focuses on the layout with a look at the standard Silverlight layout panels - stack, grid and canvas.
Good \\ u200b \\ u200bråd and it holds also for Silverlight and WPF development. Chapter 10 moves on to consider some specific controls Telephone - App bar, Rank Base and Slider and some general controls button. Chapter 11 takes dependency properties from each other and there is no doubt that if you master the Silverlight development you need to understand dependency properties. Chapter 12 goes on to consider the most common use of dependency properties ie data binding. Next we have some chapters on general graphics. Chapter 13 deals with vector graphics in many ways the most natural form of graphics in Silverlight. Chapter 14 explains bitmap graphics including WriteableBitmap and dynamic graphics. Chapter 15 is on animation - both simple and XAML-based. Chapter 16 goes back to the core Silverlight facilities in the form of templates. Chapter 17 explains the element controller, ie controller that displays collections of items. This is of course where the data binding first becomes complicated.
The fact that they were released late in the development cycle is the most likley reason.
Overall this is an excellent introduction to creating applications for Windows 7 Phone.
For me the best part is where XNA and Silverlight treated side by side.
Later, however, what you have is a good introduction to Silverlight with many examples and explanations.
This is not a re-write of the documentation, but a presentation of how things work.
It reduces the techno-speak in the manual of plain English - what more could you ask for.
Recommended.
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