Silverlight + SharePoint integration (Silverlight Blueprint for SharePoint)

Overview

Microsoft provides a Blueprint for integrating Silverlight 2 applications with SharePoint sites. The Blueprint includes guides to configure SharePoint runtime environment for hosting Silverlight 2 application, as well as VS 2008 development environment for building Silverlight 2 wrapper webparts. Besides, 5 examples application are included in the Blueprint.

Reference

Silverlight Blueprint for SharePoint Beta 2

Steps

Below only briefly shows the steps required for the integration, for details please refer to Silverlight Blueprint Guidance.

Configure VS 2008 development environment

1. Install the Microsoft Silverlight 2 Beta 2 plug-in
2. Install VS 2008 SP1 and .NET Framework 3.5 SP1
3. Install Microsoft Silverlight 2 Tools Beta 2 for VS 2008
4. Install Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Tools: VS 2008 Extensions

Configure SharePoint runtime environment

1. Install Service Pack 1 for your SharePoint (either WSS 3.0 or MOSS 2007)
2. Deploy System.Web.Silverlight.dll into Global Assembly Cache
3. Add a new MIME type for (.xap) file to the IIS Web Application hosting SharePoint Sites
4. Modify the web.config file of the IIS Web Application hosting SharePoint Sites to enable ASP.NET AJAX 1.0 and Silverlight 2 applications.

Silverlight Get-started tutorial

Overview

To get started with Silverlight, I search for tutorial on web and found this blog by Scott Guthrie giving out a tutorial on building a complete Silverlight application with VS 2008.

Reference

1. First Look at Silverlight 2
2. Microsoft Silverlight Tools Beta 2 for Visual Studio 2008
3. First Look at Using Expression Blend with Silverlight 2

Really Simple steps

1. Install Silverlight 2 (if you don't have one)
2. Install VS 2008
3. Install Silverlight Tools Beta 2 for VS 2008 (download from reference 2)
4. Create a Silverlight Application in VS 2008
5. Happy coding!