Using the Model View View-Model (MVVM) pattern, .NET developers can create more robust and powerful Silverlight and WPF applications, get to market more rapidly, and simplify both maintenance and upgrades. In MVVM Unleashed, two-time Microsoft MVP Mike Brown demonstrates how to use MVVM to overcome many of the most difficult challenges traditionally associated with Silverlight and WPF development. Brown presents realistic code samples illuminating each "pain point" and showing how MVVM and its supporting patterns can be used to address them. This book goes far beyond theory, presenting useful advice and code derived from the author's four years' experience building production WPF and Silverlight applications. Brown shows how to leverage MVVM's potential benefits for maintainability, testability, "blendability," and portability. In addition, he thoroughly covers closely-related "supporting patterns" for efficiently structuring applications - including patterns that have evolved from the practice of minimizing code-behind. MVVM Unleashed will be valuable to every Silverlight and WPF developer, including the growing number of developers now building Windows Phone 7 apps.

Table of Contents

Part I. Why MVVM? 1. Principles of Object Oriented Development 2. An Introduction to MVVM 3. Maintainability and MVVM 4. Testability and MVVM 5. Blendability and MVVM 6. Portability and MVVM Part III. Support: Making MVVM Shine 7. Zero Code-Behind Debate 8. Delegating Command to the View Model 9. Extending XAML with Attached Behaviors 10. Communication between View Models 11. Removing Dependencies with Inversion of Control 12. Simplifying Data Access with Repositories and Unit of Work Part IV. Advanced Patterns: Moving Beyond Utility 13. View Model Base and View Model Property 14. Navigation 15. The Coup de Grace: UI Metadata/Dynamic UI

Author Biography

Mike Brown is president and cofounder of KharaSoft Inc. (kharasoft.com), a technology firm specializing in training, custom software development, and Software as a Service. A back-to-back MVP Award recipient, he is an accomplished technology specialist with more than 14 years of industry experience, and cofounder of the Indy Alt.NET user group (indyalt.net). His article Enterprise Patterns with WCF RIA Services was recently published in MSDN Magazine.