Microsoft Expression Blend 4 Unleashed

Book excerpt: This book has one primary goal: to get you working in Expression Blend 4 effectively using the features and functionality of the tool. This book is not about XAML, not about code nor explicit work flows. It is about simply dragging, dropping, drawing, and defining the experience and vision for a user interface and rich interactive experience. You will learn how to work with the core features of Blend, edit Styles and Templates, and more importantly, understand what they all mean. You will also work in detail with Parts, States, and Behaviors to understand how collectively they can provide your solutions advanced functionality without the need for code or hand-cranked XAML. Animations and Storyboards will allow you to bring life to your vision, as will working with data efficiently and learning how to create and manage Resources. In short, this book will give you the answers to many questions asked in forums by new and experienced users alike. Microsoft Expression Blend 4 Unleashed is a stunning, full-color resource with hundreds of screenshots and informative figure references. It has also been authored sequentially, to enable you to build your knowledge step-by-step and gain confidence through repartition and fearlessness in discovery. Detailed information on how to… Create, edit, and work effectively with Styles and Templates Master Parts, States, and Behaviors to enable XAML and code free functionality Use Blend’s Animation and Storyboard workflows to bring life to your solutions Create and manage Resource Dictionaries, Skins, and Themes Create sample and live data Implement effective XML, CLR Data binding, and Control Template binding using Expression Blends advanced data support tools Use Blend as part of your designer/developer workflow to create rapid prototypes with SketchFlow Use design resources to start creating solutions for Windows Phone 7 Work with WPF, Silverlight, and Silverlight for Windows Phone 7 platforms