Pro Expression Blend 4 Review


Switching development platforms to C# and using WPF for the user interface, it is easy to get overwhelmed with the choices for building applications. This book was a great help in my learning process about XAML and the role that Expression Blend plays in developing the user interface of an application. Geared towards both developers and designers who want to learn how to use Blend, the author writes in a friendly, easy to understand style, covering technical details without getting bogged down in complex jargon. The examples use minimal code (if any) that is easy to understand and have good explanations. The book’s examples switch between using Silverlight and WPF with explanations of any differences between the two.


Pros

• Easy to read language without being technical

• Full color printing throughout the book. This is makes it easier to read XAML and C# code by showing the syntax highlighting.

• Examples are easy to follow and can be completed without having to rely on downloaded source code.

• Additional resources are given to learn more information about particular topics.



Cons

• The chapter on Windows Phone 7 at first seemed to cover the topic too superficially spending a lot of time covering the installation of the SDK. But this book is not about developing Windows Phone applications and it does show that you would use all the same tools and techniques to develop a Windows Phone application as a regular Silverlight application.



I really like that the author also includes additional information on where to go for more details about a topic. Often he points to specific help topics, or other resources like MSDN magazine articles.



The last chapter is about prototyping capabilities in Blend called SketchFlow. It shows how to build simple prototypes to show customers or others and collect their feedback. The section about creating component screens was helpful, as I had not seen that capability in the couple of other SketchFlow tutorials I had worked through. It also discusses how to convert your SketchFlow prototype to start your production development.



I really recommend this book if you are learning XAML and want to know how Blend works. As a programmer or designer you will find it will give you a good overall view of the many capabilities of Blend.