Sams Teach Yourself Windows Phone 7 Application Development in 24 Hours

Product Author Bios

Scott Dorman has been designated by Microsoft as a C# Most Valued Professional in recognition for his many contributions to the C# community. Scott has been involved with computers in one way or another for as long as he can remember. He has been working with computers professionally since 1993 and with .NET and C# since 2001. Currently, Scott’s primary focus is developing commercial software applications using Microsoft .NET technologies. Scott runs a software architecture-focused user group, speaks extensively (including at Microsoft TechEd and community-sponsored code camps), and contributes regularly to online communities such as The Code Project and StackOverflow. Scott also maintains a .NET Framework and C#-focused technology blog at http://geekswithblogs.com/sdorman.

Kevin Wolf is a software engineer with 20 years professional experience developing and deploying software.  Kevin’s background includes everything from developing hardware and software for real-time embedded systems, to CMS/Sales Force Automation systems, to large decision support line of business applications.  For the past 5 years, Kevin’s focus as an independent consultant has been on developing applications for mobile devices such as Windows Mobile, iPhone and Android.  In January of 2010, Kevin was recognized as a Microsoft MVP in the area of Device Application Development for his work promoting Windows Mobile.

Nikita Polyakov is a Microsoft Device Application Developer MVP and has been a long time community voice for most things mobile from Microsoft in the local community in Florida and online. Nikita helped and co-chaired many local user groups and community initiatives. Nikita is currently working for Tribridge as a Technical Consultant in the Custom Application Development practice helping many local and national customers realize their full potential with quality software consulting.

Joe Healy is a Microsoft Developer Evangelist based in Florida. Joe's geographical responsibility is to provide 'developer care' for the Gulf States District for the East Region Developer team. As such, he has responsibilities to bring .NET development to the masses in his area. Joe serves a multitude of clients, from corporate accounts to broad reach events and User Groups. He lectures on various development and architectural topics focused around the .Net Frameworks, Visual Studio.NET, and associated servers.

Covers Windows Phone 7.5

In just 24 sessions of one hour or less, you’ll learn how to develop mobile applications for Windows Phone 7! Using this book’s straightforward, step-by-step approach, you’ll learn the fundamentals of Windows Phone 7 app development, how to leverage Silverlight or the XNA Framework, and how to get your apps into the Windows Marketplace. One step at a time, you’ll master new features ranging from the new sensors to using launchers and choosers. Each lesson builds on what you’ve already learned, helping you get the job done fast—and get it done right!

Step-by-step instructions carefully walk you through the most common Windows Phone 7 app development tasks.
Quizzes and exercises at the end of each chapter help you test your knowledge.
By the Way notes present interesting information related to the discussion.
Did You Know? tips offer advice or show you easier ways to perform tasks.
Watch Out! cautions alert you to possible problems and give you advice on how to avoid them.

Learn how to...

• Choose an application framework
• Use the sensors
• Develop touch-friendly apps
• Utilize push notifications
• Consume web data services
• Integrate with Windows Phone hubs
• Use the Bing Map control
• Get better performance out of your apps
• Work with data
• Localize your apps
• Use launchers and choosers
• Market and sell your apps

Downloads

Download free code files here

Online Sample Chapter

Choosing an Application Framework for Windows Phone 7 Application Development

Sample Pages

Download the sample pages (includes Chapter 3 and Index)

Table of Contents

Introduction xvii
Audience and Organization     xviii
Conventions Used in This Book     xix
Closing Thoughts     xix

Part I: Fundamentals
HOUR 1: Introducing Windows Phone 7     1
Experiencing Life in Motion     2
Ensuring a Common Foundation     3
Introducing the Application Platform     6
Introducing Metro     11
Summary     18
Q&A     19
HOUR 2: Considerations for Desktop Developers     21
Understanding the Requirements     21
Identifying Users and Their Mobile Needs     22
Getting Data for Your Application     25
Building the User Interface     27
Summary     29
Q&A     29
Workshop     29
HOUR 3: Choosing an Application Framework     31
Introducing the Application Frameworks     31
Understanding Silverlight     32
Understanding the XNA Framework     37
Summary     41
Q&A     42
Workshop     43
Exercise     43
HOUR 4: Learning Silverlight Basics     45
Understanding Silverlight     45
Silverlight Coding Fundamentals     46
Exploring Silverlight Controls     49
Understanding Data Binding     62
Summary     70
Q&A     70
HOUR 5: Understanding Page-Based Navigation     73
Introducing the Page Navigation Model     74
Using the Navigation Service     75
Working with Page Navigation Events     79
Passing Data with the Navigation Context     82
Summary     83
Q&A     83
Workshop     84
Exercise     85
HOUR 6: Using the Sensors     87
Working with the Accelerometer     87
Using the Compass     91
Responding to the Gyroscope     93
Determining Motion     95
Summary     97
Q&A     97
Workshop     97

Part II: Developing Applications with Silverlight
HOUR 7: Working with the GPS and the Bing Map Control     99
Building a Location-Aware Application     99
Working with the GPS     101
Using the Silverlight Bing Map Control     104
Drawing on the Map     106
Summary     107
Q&A     108
Workshop     108
Exercise     109
HOUR 8: Developing Finger-Friendly Applications     111
Working Within Phone Screen Limitations     111
Understanding Touch Targets     113
Working with Gestures     116
Summary     126
Q&A     126
Workshop     127
Exercises     127
HOUR 9: Consuming Web Data Services     129
Using Raw Web Communication     129
Using Windows Communication Foundation     135
Supporting Sockets     139
Summary     139
Q&A     140
Workshop     140
Exercise     140
HOUR 10: Working with REST, Syndication Feeds, and OData     141
Consuming REST Services     141
Working with Syndication Feeds     147
Using the OData Libraries     151
Summary     156
Q&A     156
Workshop     157
Exercise     157
HOUR 11: Integrating with Windows Phone Hubs     159
Introducing the Windows Phone Hubs     160
Integrating with the Music + Videos Hub     164
Integrating with the Pictures Hub     170
Summary     174
Workshop     174
Exercise     175
HOUR 12: Integrating with Microsoft Services     177
Integrating with Microsoft Bing     177
Translating Text     185
Summary     188
Workshop     188
Exercise     189
HOUR 13: Performance and Debugging     191
Tuning Application Startup     191
Measuring and Tuning Your Application     195
Working with Asynchronous and Background Tasks     198
Tuning Silverlight Performance     201
Summary     203
Q&A     203
Workshop     204
Exercises     205
HOUR 14: Understanding Push Notification Services     207
What Are Push Notification Services?      207
How Do Notification Services Work?      208
Opening a Notification Channel     210
Sending and Receiving Notifications     212
Summary     215
Q&A     216
Workshop     216
Exercise     216
HOUR 15: Understanding Live Tiles and Toast Notifications     217
What Are Live Tile and Toast Notifications?      217
Working with Toast Notifications     219
Live Tile Notifications     223
Summary     227
Q&A     228
Workshop     228
Exercise     229
HOUR 16: Working with Data     231
Determining Network Connectivity     231
Managing Local Data     232
Working with Data from a Service     243
Keeping Data Synchronized     245
Enforcing Business Rules     246
Summary     246
Q&A     246
Workshop     247
Exercises     248

Part III: Developing Games with the XNA Framework
HOUR 17: Introduction to XNA Programming     249
Understanding the Game Loop     249
Adding Game Content     253
Rendering Textures     254
Rendering Text     255
Adding a Background     258
Handling User Input     259
Summary     261
Q&A     261
Workshop     261
HOUR 18: Building a Simple Game     263
Game Physics Made Simple     263
Detecting Collisions     269
Using Accelerometer-Controlled Movement     272
Adding the Challenges     274
Summary     278
Q&A     278
Workshop     278
Exercise     279
HOUR 19: Adding Polish to Your Game     281
Adding Gameplay     281
Enhancing the Ball-Dropping Experience     287
Adding Haptic and Audible Feedback     289
Summary     290
Q&A     290
Workshop     291

Part IV: Diving Deeper
HOUR 20: Internationalizing Your Application     293
Understanding Internationalization     293
Understanding Culture     295
Globalization at Work     297
Localizing Application Resources     300
Summary     306
Q&A     307
Workshop     307
Exercise     308
HOUR 21: Working with Phone Internals     309
Understanding Launchers and Choosers     309
Sending Messages     311
Interacting with the Marketplace     314
Playing Media Content     316
Making Phone Calls     317
Searching and Web Browsing     319
Working with the Camera and Pictures     320
Playing FM Radio     322
Summary     323
Q&Av323
Workshop     324
Exercise     324
HOUR 22: Being a Good Mobile Citizen     325
Theming     325
Preserving Application State     334
Implementing an About Page     340
Summary     341
Q&A     341
Workshop     342
Exercise     342
HOUR 23: Distributing Applications with the Marketplace     343
Introducing the Marketplace     343
Joining the Marketplace     348
Configuring Your Application     349
Submitting Your Application     352
Using Trial Services     356
Summary     357
Q&A     357
Workshop     357
Exercise     358
HOUR 24: Marketing and Selling Your Application     359
Marketing Using Basic Techniques     359
Using Trial Services     361
Generating Sales Using the About Page     367
Understanding the Effects of Globalization     367
Entering Contests     369
Summary     370
Q&A     370
Resources     371
Author Resources     371
Other Helpful Resources     371
Index     373