New features in Silverlight 4 Beta: WCF Data Services

ADO.NET Data Services has changed its name to WCF Data Services. Today I’ll write about consuming these data services from Silverlight 4 Beta client.

I have created Silverlight 4 application consuming .NET 4.0 WCF Data Service in x-domain scenario (which is supported in updated data services). Silverlight 4 client library includes most of the new features previewed in the ADO.NET Data Services CTP2.  Using the Visual Studio 2010 Beta 2 Add Service Reference feature with the Silverlight 4.0 Beta requires a few extra steps from the normal process.

The Open Data Protocol Visualizer for Visual Studio CTP1  (see screenshot above)  provides a read-only visualization of the types, properties, associations, and other objects in the Entity Data Model (EDM) returned from an Open Data Protocol’s metadata endpoint. You can download and install it using Extension Manager.

Useful links

• http://microsoftpdc.com/Sessions/CL06
• http://blogs.msdn.com/silverlightws/archive/2009/12/18/pdc-presentation-and-demo.aspx
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc838234(VS.96).aspx
• http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/AstoriaDocSamples
• http://blogs.msdn.com/astoriateam/
• http://blogs.msdn.com/astoriateam/archive/2009/08/31/ado-net-data-services-v1-5-ctp2-now-available-for-download.aspx
• http://blogs.msdn.com/astoriateam/archive/2009/09/01/customizable-feed-support-in-ctp2.aspx
• http://blogs.msdn.com/astoriateam/archive/2009/09/01/ado-net-data-services-v1-5-ctp2-projections-overview-server.aspx
• http://blogs.msdn.com/astoriateam/archive/2009/09/01/introduction-to-data-binding-in-ctp2.aspx
• http://blogs.msdn.com/astoriateam/archive/2009/09/03/using-the-ado-net-data-services-silverlight-client-in-x-domain-and-out-of-browser-scenarios-i.aspx
• http://blogs.msdn.com/astoriateam/archive/2009/09/10/more-on-using-data-services-silverlight-3-in-xdomain-out-of-browser-scenarios.aspx
• http://blogs.msdn.com/astoriateam/archive/2009/10/19/share-your-data-across-data-sources-sharepoint-sql-server-azure-reporting-services-etc-applications-net-silverlight-excel-etc-using-data-services.aspx
• http://blogs.msdn.com/astoriateam/archive/2009/11/17/breaking-down-data-silos-the-open-data-protocol-odata.aspx
• http://blogs.msdn.com/astoriateam/archive/2009/11/17/introducing-the-microsoft-open-data-protocol-visualizer.aspx
• http://blogs.msdn.com/astoriateam/archive/2009/11/25/data-services-release-plan-update.aspx
• http://blogs.msdn.com/astoriateam/archive/2009/12/01/using-the-silverlight-4-0-wcf-data-services-client-library.aspx
• http://microsoftpdc.com/Sessions/FT12
• http://microsoftpdc.com/Sessions/FT55