Using Microsoft LightSwitch
for Visual Studio
Sergey Barskiy
SergeyB@Magenic.com
www.DotNetSpeak.com
What is LightSwitch?
• Visual Studio project type that allows developers and technically
savvy business users to build Silverlight applications with little or no
coding required
• Targets data centric RIA applications
• LightSwitch is currently in beta
• It will be paid-for SKU when shipped
• Will be available for free if you have any paid-for version of Visual
Studio
LightSwitch Architecture
• LightSwitch applications are 3 tier Silverlight applications
• They use MVVM pattern
• They use WCF RIA Services to communicate with a server
component
• Support SQL Server or SQL Azure
LightSwitch Application Project
LightSwitch Application Properties
• General properties
– Icon
– Title
• Screen navigation
• Access Control Security
– None
– Windows
– Forms / Custom
• Application Type
–
–
–
Desktop client, 2-tier deployment creates an application that runs on the end-user’s Windows
desktop; the database and server components run on a networked computer.
Desktop client, 3-tier deployment creates an application that runs on the end-user’s Windows
desktop; the database and server components run on an Internet Information Services (IIS)
server.
Browser client, 3-tier deployment creates an application that runs in the end-user’s web
browser; the database and server components run on an Internet Information Services (IIS)
server.
Building LightSwitch Application
• Data
– Point to existing database
– Create new database
• Tables
• Relationships
• Rules / read-only data
– Required
– Lists
– Field Type
– “Write Code” Link
Building LightSwitch Application
• User Interface
– Forms
– Form Navigation
• Publish Wizard (Build menu)
– Create MSDeploy package
– Deploy immediately
LightSwitch Resources
• http://lightswitch.adefwebserver.com/
• http://blogs.msdn.com/b/lightswitch/archive/2010/08/06/theanatomy-of-a-lightswitch-application-overview.aspx
• http://blogs.msdn.com/b/lightswitch/
• http://blogs.msdn.com/b/lightswitch/archive/2010/09/15/lightswitchhow-do-i-videos-on-the-developer-center-beth-massi.aspx
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff852064.aspx
Questions