SCSF. Introduction

Introduction

The first release 发布 of the Composite 组合型 UI Application Block (took place) 产生 in December of 2005, and the first release 发布 of the Smart Client Software Factory in July of 2006. This book might therefore seem to be appearing 显得 a bit late in the lifecycle of the software, at least compared to others that I've written. However, CAB and SCSF originally 最初 represented 表现的 not so much a finished product as a living 现存的 (design pattern) 设计模式, and as such underwent 经过 (rapid iteration) 快速迭代 and change as a result of the feedback 反馈 of the earliest developers. The evolution 演变 of the WorkItem class from a use case to a scoping 作用域 container 容器, discussed in Chapter 3, is an example of this developer-driven change.

In this book, I've tried to bring you the (most current) 最新 thinking on the state of CAB and SCSF and their usage 用法 today. You will find it substantially 大幅度的 different than the original articles and documentation. I wrote most of this book just (prior to)在…之前 the May 2007 release of the Smart Client Software Factory. After its release, I had to (scramble to) 争夺 bring the book (up to date) 拥有（或包含）最新信息的 by our reserved 预订的 (press time) 截稿时间. I didn't (manage to) 设法达成 get the disconnected 不连贯的 operation blocks in, but I did cover 包括了 its use of WPF. Because the May SCSF contains a smoother (tool set) 工具集, I've written all the code samples based on it. CAB strikes 打动 me as much closer to the beginning of its life than it is to the end, so it (makes sense) 有意义 to go with the latest and best.

What about Acropolis, which has just released its first CTP 社区技术预览版(Community Technology Preview) version as 随着 we go to press 出版? Does it make sense to learn and use CAB when Acropolis is on the way? I think it does. First, Acropolis is an evolutionary 进化的 based on the principles 原理 of CAB, so studying and becoming fluent 流畅的 (in the latter) 在后者 will help you (transition to) 向…过渡 the former 前者 when the time comes. Second, Acropolis is a large and ambitious 野心勃勃的 undertaking 企业, for which a firm 稳固的 schedule 计划表 has not yet been announced. I think that there's at least a good year and a half, possibly two years, before it gets into wide 广泛的 circulation 流通. So again 又一次, studying and developing with CAB is a good thing to be doing today.

I wrote this book in a different style than my previous 以前的 books for Microsoft Press. Instead of writing a high-level 高水平的 overview 概述 as I've done for those titles, (Understanding COM+ 1999, Introducing Microsoft .NET 2001, 2002, and 2003, and the Microsoft Platform Ahead, 2004), this book is a detailed, code-level book. It's organized 有组织的 in a workbook 工作手册 format 格式, each (two-page spread) 一种出版格式 discussing a particular 特别的 topic 主题 and usually a short code sample pertaining 附属的 to the discussion. I've tried to (break it down into) 分解成 bite-sized 很小的 chunks 大块 to make it easier for you to swallow 吞咽. I used this approach 途径 successfully in my books on COM (Prentice-Hall, 1996, 1997, and 1999), as a more accessible 可理解的 introduction 介绍 than users could get from Brockschmidt's comprehensive 综合 tome 大本书.

Who This Book Is For

I wrote this book for both software architects 架构师 and programmers 程序员. I discuss the high-level architectural 建筑上的 concepts 概念 alongside 在旁边 the code that you need to write to make those concepts happen. Managers 管理人员 will also benefit from reading it. (At the very least) 无论如何/至少, their managees won't be able to pull the wool over their eyes 受蒙蔽 quite so easily.

System Requirements

You'll need the following hardware and software to build and run the code samples for this book:

• Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2, Microsoft Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1, or Microsoft Windows 2000 with Service Pack 4

• Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Standard Edition or Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition

• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express (included with Visual Studio 2005) or Microsoft SQL Server 2005

• 600 MHz Pentium or compatible processor (1 GHz Pentium recommended)

• 192 MB RAM (256 MB or more recommended)

• Video (800 x 600 or higher resolution) monitor with at least 256 colors (1024 x 768 High Color 16-bit recommended)

• CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive

• Microsoft mouse or compatible pointing device

Sample Code

This book makes extensive 广泛的 use of sample code, and I know that my readers like to run and observe 观察 and modify as part of their learning process 过程. Rather than bind a CD-ROM into the book, which is expensive and hard to upgrade, I've made a web site for this book and placed the sample code on it. You'll find it online at www.programcab.com or www.programscsf.com. (In addition to) 除...之外 the sample code from this book, I'll also be placing new articles of interest and code samples on it. So (check it out) 来看看, try the code, and tell me how you like it. All of the sample code is written with the May 2007 version of SCSF.

Acknowledgments 感谢

This book, as with any other, is the product of many minds. I'd like to first and foremost 最重要的 thank the CAB and SCSF development team, which started with Eugenio Pace, Peter Provost, and Steve Elston. New team members such as Blaine Wastell and Glen Block gave invaluable 无价的 advice. On the Microsoft Press side, Ben Ryan did his customary 通常的 great job as (acquisitions editor) 组稿编辑, as he's done for me going on a decade 十年 now. Devon Musgrave and Valerie Woolley helped put the plans into action. As always, the greatest thanks go to all of my students. Teaching something is how you learn it. By inviting and allowing me to teach them, challenging me with good questions, and constantly 不断地 asking, "Yeah, but what if ..." , they've forced me to delve 钻研 into and (take apart) 拆开/剖析 this topic. I wouldn't have gotten anywhere near as far on my own. As I always say at the end of a training class, "Thank you all for coming, because it would suck 差劲 doing this all by myself."

Support for This Book

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