Expression Blend training: Building User Interfaces with Expression Blend 4

Course Number: EXP-210
GSA/Previous Course Number: 165
Duration: 3 days
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Expression Blend Training Overview

Accelebrate's Building User Interfaces with Expression Blend 4 training teaches attendees how to develop rich multimedia user experiences for applications using Microsoft Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) or Silverlight 4 with Microsoft Expression Blend 4. The course focus is upon creating the View layer of common design patterns such as MVVM. The course also teaches attendees about creating user interface elements that to be as portable as possible among WPF application, Silverlight application and Windows Phone 7 apps.

Location and Pricing

Most Accelebrate courses are taught on-site at our clients' locations worldwide for groups of 3 or more attendees and are customized to their specific needs. Please visit our client list to see organizations for whom we have recently delivered training. These courses can also be delivered as live, private online classes for groups that are geographically dispersed or wish to save on the instructor's or students' travel expenses. To receive a customized proposal and price quote private training at your site or online, please contact us.

In addition, some courses are available as live, online classes for individuals. To see a schedule of online courses, please visit http://www.accelebrate.com/online_training/?action=category&page=expression.

Expression Blend Training Prerequisites

Prior design experience is beneficial, but not required. The course focuses on providing the presentation layer of applications and provides code examples that can be integrated into the user interface as if provided by a developer to a designer. Prior experience with any of the following technologies is also beneficial, but not required: XML, Visual Studio, the .NET Framework and relational databases. No prior Microsoft Expression Blend experience is presumed.

Hands-on/Lecture Ratio

This Microsoft Expression Blend training class is 70% hands-on, 30% lecture, with the longest lecture segments lasting for 20 minutes.

Expression Blend Training Materials

All attendees receive courseware and a copy of Foundation Expression Blend 4 with Silverlight.

Software Needed on Each Student PC

Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7 with at least 2GB RAM
Microsoft Expression Blend 4 with the latest service packs installed
Microsoft .NET Framework 4 with the latest service packs installed
Internet Explorer 6 or later with the latest Silverlight plug in installed
Optional software

Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 with the latest service pack installed

Expression Blend Training Objectives

All attendees will learn how to use Microsoft Expression Blend to:

Learn to build WPF and Silverlight applications in Expression Blend 4
Explore .NET Framework's support for WPF, Silverlight and Windows Phone 7
Learn to import existing graphic resources into Expression Blend
Learn to generate XAML for rich user interfaces using Expression Blend 4
Learn to modify existing user interface elements using styles and templates
Learn to define new custom user interface elements with styles and templates
Learn to integrate multimedia content to enhance the user experience
Learn to use different controls and layouts panels to provide dynamic, responsive user interfaces
Learn to create dynamic, data-driven applications in a team environment
Edit XAML directly within Expression Blend 4
Connect to .NET language code to extend the behavior of UI elements
Learn to use a command architecture to access .NET code
Learn to prototype applications
Learn to use Behaviors, Triggers and Actions to extend Expression Blend 4
Learn to use visual state management to provide feedback to the user
Learn to work with design patterns such as MVVM to provide separation of concerns between designer and developer

Expression Blend Training Outline

Introducing Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) and Silverlight

What's new in Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) 4.0
What’s new in Silverlight 4.0
Comparing WPF to Silverlight
Connecting with Windows Communication Foundation (WCF)
Creating Desktop Applications
Creating Browser Applications
Creating Windows Phone 7 Applications
The new Designer/Developer workflow

The WPF and Silverlight Frameworks

Using XAML to Describe the UI
Understanding the MVVM Design Pattern
Connecting to Visual C# / Visual Basic Code
Designing Applications with Vector Graphics
Using the MVVM design pattern
Understanding classes and partial classes

Prototyping WPF and Silverlight Applications

Prototyping Application Flow
Screen Prototyping
Using style to help with prototyping
Migrating an Application from Prototype to Production

Importing Resources

Importing Graphic Resources from Illustrator and Photoshop
Using Existing Image Resources
Incorporating Animation in the UI
Creating a Resource Dictionary

Choosing Layout Panels

Canvas
StackPanel
WrapPanel
DockPanel
Grid
UniformGrid
Choosing Panels for Better Portability
Nesting Panels and Controls for a Hierarchical Design

Introducing UI Controls

Graphic Elements
Text Controls
Input Controls
List Item Controls

Customizing UI Controls

Choosing and Customizing Existing Controls
Manipulating Controls by Setting Properties
Visual Property Inheritance
Using Styles and Templates
Binding to Data and Data Templates
Applying Themes

Working with Data and ViewModels

Using Data Binding
Defining Data Context
Binding to Objects
Element binding
Template binding
Customizing Data Templates
Design vs. Runtime Data
Navigation-Based Windows Applications

Manipulating Color, Fills, Gradients, and Transparency

Defining Different Brush Types
Creating and Using Color Resources and Brush Resources
Creating, Applying and Manipulating Gradient Brushes
Creating and Applying Image Brushes

Creating Styles and Using Templates

Creating, Applying, and Editing Styles
Using Control Templates to Customize Control UI
Transforming Objects

Using Animation

Creating Keyframe Animations
Defining and Playing StoryBoards
Working with StoryBoard Timelines
Animating in Expression Blend

Working with Visual State Manager

Using Existing States
Setting State
Creating Custom States
Defining State Transitions

Expression Blend Extensions

Adding References to Extension Libraries
Using Behaviors
Creating and Using Triggers

Animating the UI(If Interest and Time Permit)

Working with Vector Graphics Elements
Merging Paths and Grouping Elements
Incorporating 3D or 3D-like Graphics
Adding Video and Audio Media

Packaging and Deploying Applications (If Interest and Time Permit)

ClickOnce WPF Applications
Silverlight XAP Applications
WPF XAML Browser Applications
Silverlight Out Of Browse Applications
Windows Installer WPF applications

Conclusion