[dba-VB] This is hot: WCF RIA Services

Hi all

RIA: Rich Internet Applications

<quote>
Microsoft WCF RIA Services simplifies the traditional n-tier application pattern by bringing together the ASP.NET and Silverlight platforms. RIA Services provides a pattern to write application logic that runs on the mid-tier and controls access to data for queries, changes and custom operations. It also provides end-to-end support for common tasks such as data validation, authentication and roles by integrating with Silverlight components on the client and ASP.NET on the mid-tier
</quote>

Though not explained at a place to find, what it does is automatically to set up for you a web service which your Silverlight frontend communicates with, and to establish the client side code that handles this communication.  

http://silverlight.net/getstarted/riaservices/

Watch the 1-hour video "Introduction to WCF RIA Services" and combine this with the racing speed at which Silverlight evolves, and it will erase any doubt you still may have about browser-based applications. 

Note too, that while this works in VS2008 and with Silverlight 3 it is really aimed at VS2010 and Silverlight 4 both currently available as betas.

I attended a developer meeting a couple of days ago where we ran a similar walk-through, and it was very convincing. This is exactly what I for years have been looking for.

/gustav