Chapter 11. The Client Object Model and Silverlight Web Parts

Browsers have become increasingly more powerful, allowing developers to build rich user interfaces with JavaScript and plug-ins such as Silverlight and Flash. The combination of rich clients and web services enables applications to take some load off the servers and even perform tasks not possible on the servers. A benefit for power users is the ability to add custom functionality to applications without access to the server. JavaScript and Silverlight in combination with SharePoint sandboxed solutions is the way to go when you have your SharePoint hosted or if you can’t install solutions directly onto the server in any other way.

In previous SharePoint versions, external applications had the option of inter-acting with SharePoint using web services only. These web services were poorly documented, loosely typed, and hard to work with. A new concept called the Client Object Model lets external applications work with SharePoint 2010 using a client runtime and API. The Client Object Model doesn’t replace the old web services (which still remain) but makes it easier and more efficient to work with the SharePoint object model remotely.

11.1. The Client Object Model

11.2. Silverlight Web Parts

11.3. Summary