Part 2. Creating the user interface

Silverlight is an entire platform based on a specific .NET profile, but it’s better known as a UI technology based on XAML. In part 1, you saw how Silverlight, .NET, and XAML fit together to enable you to build both in-browser and out-of-browser desktop applications.

In part 2, you’ll look at the specific UI elements and stacks that make Silver-light applications tick. I’ll start with the fundamentals of layout and rendering and build on that with an in-depth look at panels such as the Grid and Stack-Panel. Then you’ll learn about accepting input from application users, whether they use mouse, touch, ink, or keyboard as their mode of interaction.

Text is an important part of most applications, so I’ll cover it in detail—from the basics of the text stack, to fancy OpenType text, to support for eastern languages. I’ll then show you how to display and input both plain and rich text using the built-in elements.

During the discussion of text, I’ll introduce a few controls such as the Text-Box and RichTextBox. In chapter 12, I’ll expand on that discussion to cover the various types of controls Silverlight offers, how to use them, and even how to create your own UserControls.