Hi
Your advice...

My scenario...

I want to learn Silverlight and use CSLA. I assume the best way forward is the use SL4 and CSLA 4.
In your intro video you spend a lot of time identifying the reasons to choose MVVM - unit testing is one.
I am a freelancer with 20 years experience building typical office applications (windows/web) and use ISP's to host applications (mainly)... often this forum and CSLA books are over my head.
I don't intend to write unit tests...so what is the best way to learn SL(4) and CSLA(4)?
Presumably this video series is of no use to me? If so, what do you suggest.... is there a video series SL4 and CSLA4 without MVVM?
I'm sure there are many like me in this scenario...can you please advise.
Thanks
Richard

Unit testing is one reason to use MVVM. But I think there are a lot of other good reasons to use MVVM, at least the way I'm using it, because it simplifies UI code and increases maintainability.

Your primarily alternative is to write VB3-style code with lots of event handlers and code-behind the UI. We know (from 17 years of experience) that this is not a particularly good or maintainable approach.

The MVVM video series is not an intro video series though. For that you'll want the "CSLA .NET for Silverlight" video series - though that spends time with the CslaDataProvider, and unfortunately Microsoft has chosen to not continue down the data provider road...

I just put the third video segment online.

This new video segment walks through an edit form scenario, with a view and viewmodel that use an editable root business object as a model. This video demonstrates the use of ViewModel<T>, TriggerAction and the Visual Studio 2010 drag-and-drop data binding designer feature so you can see how they all work together to allow you to build a fully functional edit screen with no code-behind, and relatively little code even in the viewmodel.

Richard,

I also had a hard time understanding the book. I a program for a hobby and I am writing an application for my wife's business and desided to use Silverlight and CSLA. I purchased the Silverlight videos and so far I have watched most of the sections 4 or 5 times. It is sinking in and I am starting to write some test projects using Silverlght and CSLA. I just ordered the MVVM videos because of the changes in Silverlight 4 and CSLA 4.
I tried to do a couple of test projects in using CSLA 4, Silverlight 4 and VS 2010 but I ran into problems. Hopefully the new video series will clear some things up. I think the CSLA Silverlight video series is well worth the money.

Leo
thanks for that, it's nice to know others are in the same situation. I will purchase Silverlight videos but can't afford both (current 3.8 and I assume there are to be csla4/sl4 videos soon??) so will wait, but can't decide on MVVM yet - I appreciate the principal of zero code and separation of layers (UI, business, data) but getting my head round it all does seem quite a task (unlike web/asp.net/vb where I can easily write stuff and it works). MVVM as per intro video also suggests the need for another framework to be introduced (Prism, Unity or write your own). If you have any test projects you are willing to share that would be good (zen8019@zen.co.uk)
Richard