Microsoft Silverlight 4 Data and Services Cookbook

Table of Contents

Silverlight 4 Data and Services Cookbook

Credits

About the authors

About the reviewers

Preface

What this book covers

What you need for this book

Who this book is for

Conventions

Reader feedback

Customer support

Downloading the example code for the book

Errata

Piracy

Questions

1. Learning the Nuts and Bolts of Silverlight 4

Introduction

Getting our environment ready to start developing Silverlight applications

How to do it...

How it works...

See also

Creating our first service-enabled and data-driven Silverlight 4 application using Visual Studio 2010

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

The solution and project structure

Services

Data binding

See also

Using the workflow between Visual Studio 2010 and Blend 4

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

See also

Using source control in Visual Studio 2010 and Blend 4

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Commonly used terms in TFS

Deploying a Silverlight application on the server

How to do it...

How it works...

Configuration changes on the server

What if the server doesn't allow using XAP?

2. An Introduction to Data Binding

Introduction

Displaying data in Silverlight applications

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

See also

Creating dynamic bindings

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Binding data to another UI element

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Element bindings without bindings

See also

Binding collections to UI elements

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

See also

Enabling a Silverlight application to automatically update its UI

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Single objects

Collections

Cleaning up the code

Obtaining data from any UI element it is bound to

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

See also

Using the different modes of data binding to allow persisting data

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

See also

Data binding from Expression Blend 4

How to do it...

How it works...

Using Expression Blend 4 for sample data generation

How to do it...

3. Advanced Data Binding

Introduction

Hooking into the data binding process

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

The ConvertParameter

Displaying images based on a URL with converters

Replacing converters with Silverlight 4 BindingBase properties

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

See also

Validating databound input

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

See also

Validating data input using attributes

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Other uses of data annotations

See also

Validating using IDataErrorInfo and INotifyDataErrorInfo

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

See also

Using templates to customize the way data is shown by controls

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Building a change-aware collection type

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

See also

Combining converters, data binding, and DataContext into a custom DataTemplate

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

See also

4. The Data Grid

Introduction

Displaying data in a customized DataGrid

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more

See also

Inserting, updating, and deleting data in a DataGrid

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

See also

Sorting and grouping data in a DataGrid

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Sorting a template column

See also

Filtering and paging data in a DataGrid

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

See also

Using custom columns in the DataGrid

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Implementing master-detail in the DataGrid

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Validating the DataGrid

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

RIA Services and data annotations

See also

5. The DataForm

Introduction

Displaying and editing an object using the DataForm

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

More on DataForm behavior

Validating a DataForm or a DataGrid

Managing the editing of an object on different levels

See also

Displaying and editing a collection using the DataForm

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

See also

Customizing the DataForm using Data Annotations

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Using Data Annotations for validation

See also

Customizing the DataForm using a custom DataTemplate

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

See also

Customizing the DataForm template

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Getting the default template of a control

See also

Validating the DataForm

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Other uses of Data Annotations

RIA Services and Data Annotations

See also

6. Talking to Services

Introduction

Connecting and reading from a standardized service

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

See also

Persisting data using a standardized service

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

See also

Configuring cross-domain calls

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Working cross-domain from a trusted Silverlight application

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

See also

Reading XML using HttpWebRequest

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

The request

The response

Threading headaches

See also

Reading out an RSS feed

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

RSS versions

See also

Aggregating RSS feeds

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

See also

Talking with services in the Windows Azure cloud

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

What about other cloudservices?

See also

Persisting data to and reading data from the Windows Azure cloud

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

What about relational data storage?

See also

Using socket communication in Silverlight

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

The policy server

The socket server

Connecting the Silverlight application

7. Talking to WCF and ASMX Services

Introduction

Invoking a service that exposes data

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

The WCF service

Connecting to the service

See also

Invoking a service such as Bing.com

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

See also

Handling faults when calling a service

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Optimizing performance using binary XML

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

The default configuration is different depending on the version of Silverlight you're using

Using binary encoding is not a security measure

See also

Using duplex communication

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

The PollingDuplexBinding: polling, binding, and assemblies

The service

The client

See also

Using duplex communication with the WCF net.tcp binding

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Setup requirements

See also

Debugging a service in Silverlight

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Types of faults

Declared faults

Undeclared faults

Ensuring data is encrypted

Getting ready...

How to do it...

How it works...

See also

Securing service communication using message-based security

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Transport security is required

See also

Uploading files to a WCF service

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

See also

Displaying images as a stream from a WCF service

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

See also

Hooking into proxy creation using slsvcutil.exe

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Calling a WCF service from Silverlight using ChannelFactory

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

See also

8. Talking to REST and WCF Data Services

Introduction

Reading data from a REST service

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

See also

Parsing REST results with LINQ-To-XML

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

See also

Persisting data using a REST service

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

See also

Working with the ClientHttpStack

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Advantages of ClientHttpStack

See also

Communicating with a REST service using JSON

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

See also

Using WCF Data Services with Silverlight

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Locked-down services

See also

Reading data using WCF Data Services

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

See also

Persisting data using WCF Data Services

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Talking to Flickr

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Flickr... more information

See also

Talking to Twitter over REST

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

See also

Passing credentials and cross-domain access to Twitter from a trusted Silverlight application

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Let's go cross-domain!

Pass me those credentials, will you?

See also

9. Talking to WCF RIA Services

Introduction

Setting up a data solution to work with RIA Services

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

The WCF RIA Services Toolkit

See also

Getting data on the client

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

See also

Sorting and filtering data

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

See also

Persisting data to the server

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

See also

Persisting a Unit of Work/changeset

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

See also

Working with concurrency and transactions

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Tracking a user's identity

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

See also

Controlling a user's access to a service and service methods

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Validating data using data annotations

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

See also

Validating data using shared code

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

See also

Using the DomainDataSource

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

See also

Using the DomainDataSource to page through data

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

See also

Sorting, filtering, and grouping data using the DomainDataSource

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

10. Converting Your Existing Applications to Use Silverlight

Introduction

Calling a stored procedure from Silverlight

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

See also

Working with LINQ to SQL from Silverlight

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

What is LINQ TO SQL?

See also

Working with the Entity Framework from Silverlight

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

What is the Entity Framework?

See also

Converting a Silverlight application to use WCF RIA Services

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

See also

Using ASP.NET Authentication in Silverlight

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

See also

Using ASP.NET Roles in Silverlight

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

See also

Using ASP.NET Profiles in Silverlight

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

See also

A. Appendix

Creating a REST service from WCF

Installing a SQL Server database

Attaching an MDF file

Executing a query file

Working with Fiddler

Local traffic

Working with the Silverlight control toolkit

Index

Silverlight 4 Data and Services Cookbook

Gill Cleeren

Kevin Dockx

Silverlight 4 Data and Services Cookbook

Copyright © 2010 Packt Publishing

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.

Every effort has been made in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy of the information presented. However, the information contained in this book is sold without warranty, either express or implied. Neither the authors, Packt Publishing, nor its dealers or distributors will be held liable for any damages caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by this book.

Packt Publishing has endeavored to provide trademark information about all the companies and products mentioned in this book by the appropriate use of capitals. However, Packt Publishing cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

First published: April 2010

Production Reference: 1200410

Published by Packt Publishing Ltd. 32 Lincoln Road Olton Birmingham, B27 6PA, UK.

ISBN 978-1-847199-84-3

www.packtpub.com

Cover Image by Sandeep (<sandyjb@gmail.com>)

Credits

Authors

Gill Cleeren

Kevin Dockx

Reviewers

Kevin DeRudder

Mike Hanley

Tarkan Karadayi

Kris Van Der Mast

Acquisition Editor

Kerry George

Development Editor

Neha Patwari

Technical Editors

Roger D'souza

Arani Roy

Copy Editor

Sneha Kulkarni

Indexer

Monica Ajmera Mehta

Editorial Team Leader

Mithun Sehgal

Project Team Leader

Priya Mukherji

Project Coordinator

Zainab Bagasrawala

Proofreader

Chris Smith

Aaron Nash

Production Coordinator

Melwyn D'sa

Cover Work

Melwyn D'sa

About the authors

Gill Cleeren is Microsoft's Regional Director, MVP ASP.NET, INETA speaker bureau member, and Silverlight Insider. He lives in Belgium, where he works as a .NET architect. Since its introduction, Gill has been a .NET enthusiast. For the first few years of his career, he developed ASP.NET applications. The very day that Silverlight was introduced to the world, back in 2007, he started working with the technology. Since then, he has given many training sessions and developed several applications, both with Silverlight and WPF.

As MVP and Regional Director, Gill is also very active in the Belgian and international community as a speaker and user group leader for Visug, the Belgian .NET user group. His blog on .NET, ASP.NET, and Silverlight can be found at www.snowball.be.

For me, writing a book about the things I like to do has always been a dream. For some time now, Silverlight has been my hobby and passion. I spend hours in front of my laptop, both during and after working hours, staring at some Silverlight project. When James Lumsden of Packt Publishing offered me the possibility to write a book on Silverlight, I was immediately carried away by the idea. Packt brought me in touch with Kevin Dockx, also from Belgium, who agreed on co-authoring this book. Days after that, we sat together and started working on the book you're holding in your hands now. During the writing period, the people of Packt have been most helpful in every way. I really want to thank Kerry George, Neha Patwari, and Zainab Bagasrawala for replying to the countless mails we have exchanged! I also want to thank the review team: Kevin DeRudder, Mike Hanley, Tarkan Karadayi, and Kris Van Der Mast. And of course, a very big thank you to both my mother and my lovely girlfriend Lindsey, for the patience during the days I spent more time writing than being with you.

Kevin Dockx lives in Belgium and works at RealDolmen, one of Belgium's biggest ICT companies, where he is a technical specialist/project leader on .NET web applications, mainly Silverlight, and a solution manager for Rich Applications (Silverlight, WPF, Surface).His main focus lies on all things Silverlight, but he still keeps an eye on the new developments concerning other products from the Microsoft .NET (Web) Stack. As a Silverlight enthusiast, he's a regular speaker on various national and international events, like Microsoft DevDays in The Netherlands or on BESUG events (the Belgian Silverlight User Group). His blog, which contains various tidbits on Silverlight, .NET, and the occasional rambling, can be found at http://blog.kevindockx.com.

I'd like to thank anyone who helped me out with this book, especially Maarten Balliauw, who pointed me in the right direction for the Windows Azure recipes. Besides that, I'd also like to thank my friends for sticking around while I was busy spending my time writing this book instead of socializing. :-)

About the reviewers

Kevin DeRudder is a .NET trainer and consultant at U2U, mainly focusing on the WEB. In the last years, Kevin was involved in lots of Silverlight and ASP.NET projects for a variety of clients and projects.

Mike Hanley is the VP of Engineering at Vertigo Software, Inc. (http://www.vertigo.com). He has worked as a Software Engineer, specializing on the Microsoft Platform for over 10 years. Recently, Mike has spent a great deal of time working on Silverlight applications for clients ranging from Hard Rock International to the Democratic National Committee. Most recently, Mike has worked on several live video events using IIS Smooth Streaming. Mike is a Certified Scrum Master and graduated from Harvey Mudd College with a B.S. in Computer Science. You can learn more about Mike on his blog: http://www.michaelhanley.org. During his spare time, Mike enjoys spending time with his wife Tylar and his first son Max. Mike also has an identical twin brother Kevin.

Tarkan Karadayi has been writing code since the age of 14. He has a Masters in Computer Science and is currently working as a Lead Developer.

I would like to thank my wife Anna, my parents, and my three sons Taran, Kyle, and Ryan for their love and support.

Kris van der Mast, an active and dedicated moderator at the official Microsoft ASP.NET forums, has reserved himself a place among the Most Valuable Professionals since 2007 and in 2009 earned the ASP Insider title. He's also a known member of several of the Belgian user groups.