XAML code can appear simple at first, but when you start adding animations, gradients, and other visual elements, manually editing a XAML file can be error prone and an endless source of frustration. Expression Blend is a tool that often overlooked during WPF, Silverlight, or Windows Phone development simply because it seems more appropriate for artists or designers. This session will go over basic XAML creation in Expression Blend and help developers get comfortable with Blend. Subtopics will include:
* A initial review of the different windows in Blend.
* The different brushes and how they’re used
* Creating sample data in Blend for data binding.
* Creating animations
* Using styles and shared resources
* Using blend with Visual Studio
