A practical guide to obtaining, transforming, exploring, and analyzing data using Python, MongoDB, and Apache Spark About This Book Learn to use various data analysis tools and algorithms to classify, cluster, visualize, simulate, and forecast your data Apply Machine Learning algorithms to different kinds of data such as social networks, time series, and images A hands-on guide to understanding the nature of data and how to turn it into insight Who This Book Is For This book is for developers who want to implement data analysis and data-driven algorithms in a practical way. It is also suitable for those without a background in data analysis or data processing. Basic knowledge of Python programming, statistics, and linear algebra is assumed. What You Will Learn Acquire, format, and visualize your data Build an image-similarity search engine Generate meaningful visualizations anyone can understand Get started with analyzing social network graphs Find out how to implement sentiment text analysis Install data analysis tools such as Pandas, MongoDB, and Apache Spark Get to grips with Apache Spark Implement machine learning algorithms such as classification or forecasting In Detail Beyond buzzwords like Big Data or Data Science, there are a great opportunities to innovate in many businesses using data analysis to get data-driven products. Data analysis involves asking many questions about data in order to discover insights and generate value for a product or a service. This book explains the basic data algorithms without the theoretical jargon, and you’ll get hands-on turning data into insights using machine learning techniques. We will perform data-driven innovation processing for several types of data such as text, Images, social network graphs, documents, and time series, showing you how to implement large data processing with MongoDB and Apache Spark. Style and approach This is a hands-on guide to data analysis and data processing. The concrete examples are explained with simple code and accessible data.

Build rich, high production value mobile games and distribute them across different platforms with Buildbox About This Book Create captivating 2D & 2.5D (isometric) video games for all platforms Leverage Buildbox to monetize and prepare your games for distribution This step-by-step tutorial will get you generating complex and media rich games with no coding experience Who This Book Is For This book caters to those who have an interest or desire to create their own mobile games either as a hobbyist or who are looking to enhance their skills as a professional games developer. No coding experience is required. What You Will Learn Create the illusion of a 3D background in your game using parallax Add advanced controls and obstacles to our first world Develop assets (graphic and audio) for the Buildbox engine Design games based on the capabilities and limitations of Buildbox and their target platforms Compile and distribute video games on various channels such as Steam, iOS store, Android stores, and the Mac App Store Optimize your games to get the absolute best quality within platform restrictions Conquer common issues experienced with Buildbox development In Detail Buildbox is an “any skill level” development platform to develop video games with no coding experience. It also exports these games to be compiled for any platform (from Windows to Mac to iOS to Android and Blackberry) all using the same graphic user interface. Using an example as a tutorial, we will relate the driving principles and you’ll see how you can implement these principles to develop any games on the platform. We begin by setting expectations and providing a brief overview of the software. But it’s not long before you “dive in” to creating your first video game. You will actually have a playable level (“world”) by the end of the second chapter. Later on, you’ll learn everything from basic graphics creation to advanced world design while you refine your first game, called “Ramblin’ Rover.” All along the way, you will see how certain functions could be used in tandem to create other types of games; hoping to spark imagination. We will follow the principles and process of monetization through ads and in-game rewards. Lastly, we will go through the process of exporting, compiling, and preparing your storefront to sell the games you will eventually create. Style and approach This book follows a tutorial-based approach that teaches through examples, while also providing the necessary principles to enable you to abstract these principles into any game you want to make.

Analyze your data and delve deep into the world of machine learning with the latest Spark version, 2.0 About This Book Perform data analysis and build predictive models on huge datasets that leverage Apache Spark Learn to integrate data science algorithms and techniques with the fast and scalable computing features of Spark to address big data challenges Work through practical examples on real-world problems with sample code snippets Who This Book Is For This book is for anyone who wants to leverage Apache Spark for data science and machine learning. If you are a technologist who wants to expand your knowledge to perform data science operations in Spark, or a data scientist who wants to understand how algorithms are implemented in Spark, or a newbie with minimal development experience who wants to learn about Big Data Analytics, this book is for you! What You Will Learn Consolidate, clean, and transform your data acquired from various data sources Perform statistical analysis of data to find hidden insights Explore graphical techniques to see what your data looks like Use machine learning techniques to build predictive models Build scalable data products and solutions Start programming using the RDD, DataFrame and Dataset APIs Become an expert by improving your data analytical skills In Detail This is the era of Big Data. The words ‘Big Data’ implies big innovation and enables a competitive advantage for businesses. Apache Spark was designed to perform Big Data analytics at scale, and so Spark is equipped with the necessary algorithms and supports multiple programming languages. Whether you are a technologist, a data scientist, or a beginner to Big Data analytics, this book will provide you with all the skills necessary to perform statistical data analysis, data visualization, predictive modeling, and build scalable data products or solutions using Python, Scala, and R. With ample case studies and real-world examples, Spark for Data Science will help you ensure the successful execution of your data science projects. Style and approach This book takes a step-by-step approach to statistical analysis and machine learning, and is explained in a conversational and easy-to-follow style. Each topic is explained sequentially with a focus on the fundamentals as well as the advanced concepts of algorithms and techniques. Real-world examples with sample code snippets are also included.

Use Hadoop to solve business problems by learning from a rich set of real-life case studies About This Book Solve real-world business problems using Hadoop and other Big Data technologies Build efficient data lakes in Hadoop, and develop systems for various business cases like improving marketing campaigns, fraud detection, and more Power packed with six case studies to get you going with Hadoop for Business Intelligence Who This Book Is For If you are interested in building efficient business solutions using Hadoop, this is the book for you This book assumes that you have basic knowledge of Hadoop, Java, and any *ing language. What You Will Learn Learn about the evolution of Hadoop as the big data platform Understand the basics of Hadoop architecture Build a 360 degree view of your customer using Sqoop and Hive Build and run classification models on Hadoop using BigML Use Spark and Hadoop to build a fraud detection system Develop a churn detection system using Java and MapReduce Build an IoT-based data collection and visualization system Get to grips with building a Hadoop-based Data Lake for large enterprises Learn about the coexistence of NoSQL and In-Memory databases in the Hadoop ecosystem In Detail If you have a basic understanding of Hadoop and want to put your knowledge to use to build fantastic Big Data solutions for business, then this book is for you. Build six real-life, end-to-end solutions using the tools in the Hadoop ecosystem, and take your knowledge of Hadoop to the next level. Start off by understanding various business problems which can be solved using Hadoop. You will also get acquainted with the common architectural patterns which are used to build Hadoop-based solutions. Build a 360-degree view of the customer by working with different types of data, and build an efficient fraud detection system for a financial institution. You will also develop a system in Hadoop to improve the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. Build a churn detection system for a telecom company, develop an Internet of Things (IoT) system to monitor the environment in a factory, and build a data lake – all making use of the concepts and techniques mentioned in this book. The book covers other technologies and frameworks like Apache Spark, Hive, Sqoop, and more, and how they can be used in conjunction with Hadoop. You will be able to try out the solutions explained in the book and use the knowledge gained to extend them further in your own problem space. Style and approach This is an example-driven book where each chapter covers a single business problem and describes its solution by explaining the structure of a dataset and tools required to process it. Every project is demonstrated with a step-by-step approach, and explained in a very easy-to-understand manner.

Unleash the power of XMPP in order to build exciting, real-time, federated applications based on open standards in a secure and highly scalable fashion About This Book Learn about the fundamentals of XMPP and be able to work with the core functionality both server-side and in the browser Build a simple 1-to-1 chat (the “Hello World” of XMPP), explore multi-user chat, publish subscribe systems, and work with a decentralized social network Author Lloyd Watkins is a member of the XMPP standards committee Who This Book Is For If you want to learn about the fundamentals of XMPP, be able to work with the core functionality both server-side and in the browser then this book is for you.No knowledge of XMPP is required, or of TCP/IP networking. It's important that you already know how to build applications of some form, and are looking get a better understanding of how to implement XMPP for one or more of its many uses. You should be interested in the decentralized web, know HTML, and likely know JavaScript and NodeJS. You will probably know JSON, and hopefully XML (this is the native output of XMPP). What You Will Learn Install and configure an XMPP server and use it to connect from a traditional desktop client and send a message Build a simple server-side application that will respond to messages from our logged in desktop client Install and run XMPP-FTW, connect to the server from the browser, and handle incoming/outgoing messages Connect to a multi-user chat room, send/receive stanzas, add a room password, join a protected room, set the room’s subject, and change a user's affiliation Get to grips with the publish-subscribe extension of XMPP and use it to build a pusher system that can make any website real-time Build a simple XMPP component and create an extension for XMPP-FTW that allows you to use your own custom format Build an XMPP version of the classic game “Pong” In Detail XMPP (eXtensible Messaging and Presence Protocol) is a messaging protocol that enables communication between two or more devices via the Internet. With this book, developers will learn about the fundamentals of XMPP, be able to work with the core functionality both server-side and in the browser, as well as starting to explore several of the protocol extensions. You will not only have a solid grasp of XMPP and how it works, but will also be able to use the protocol to build real-world applications that utilize the power of XMPP. By the end of this book, you will know more about networking applications in general, and have a good understanding of how to extend XMPP, as well as using it in sample applications. Style and approach Through a number of hands-on projects, this book shows you how to build usable applications that highlights a feature of XMPP.

Go beyond the basics and unleash the full power of QGIS with practical, step-by-step examples About This Book This book is your one-stop solution to all of your GIS needs using the open source QGIS Master QGIS by learning about database integration, geoprocessing tools, Python *s, advanced cartography, and custom plugins This example-rich, practical guide will help you create sophisticated analyses and maps Who This Book Is For If you are a GIS professional, a consultant, a student, or perhaps a fast learner who wants to go beyond the basics of QGIS, then this book is for you. It will prepare you to realize the full potential of QGIS. What You Will Learn Create and manage a spatial database Get to know advanced techniques to style GIS data Prepare both vector and raster data for processing Add heat maps, live layer effects, and labels to your maps Master LAStools and GRASS integration with the Processing Toolbox Edit and repair topological data errors Automate workflows with batch processing and the QGIS Graphical Modeler Integrate Python *ing into your data processing workflows Develop your own QGIS plugin In Detail QGIS is an open source solution to GIS. It is widely used by GIS professionals all over the world. It is the leading alternative to the proprietary GIS software. Although QGIS is described as intuitive, it is also by default complex. Knowing which tools to use and how to apply them is essential to producing valuable deliverables on time. Starting with a refresher on the QGIS basics, this book will take you all the way through to creating your first custom QGIS plugin. From the refresher, we will recap how to create, populate, and manage a spatial database. You’ll also walk through styling GIS data, from creating custom symbols and color ramps to using blending modes. In the next section, you will discover how to prepare vector, heat maps, and create live layer effects, labeling, and raster data for processing. You’ll also discover advanced data creation and editing techniques. The last third of the book covers the more technical aspects of QGIS such as using LAStools and GRASS GIS’s integration with the Processing Toolbox, how to automate workflows with batch processing, and how to create graphical models. Finally, you will see how to create and run Python data processing *s and write your own QGIS plugin with pyqgis. By the end of the book, you will understand how to work with all the aspects of QGIS, and will be ready to use it for any type of GIS work. Style and approach This step-by-step comprehensive guide will let you dig your teeth into working with spatial databases, creating your own QGIS plugins, and creating your own custom graphical models.

Over 60 recipes will help you build smart IoT solutions and surprise yourself with captivating IoT projects you thought only existed in Bond movies About This Book This book offers key solutions and advice to address the hiccups faced when working on Arduino-based IoT projects in the real world Take your existing skills and capabilities to the next level by building challenging IoT applications with ease. Be the tech disruptor you always wanted to be with key recipes that help you solve Arduino IoT related problems smarter and faster. Put IoT to work through recipes on building Arduino-based devices that take control of your home, health, and life! Who This Book Is For This book is primarily for tech enthusiasts and early IoT adopters who would like to make the most of IoT and address the challenges encountered while developing IoT-based applications with Arduino. This book is also good for developers with basic electronics knowledge who need help to successfully build Arduino projects. What You Will Learn Monitor several Arduino boards simultaneously Tweet sensor data directly from your Arduino board Post updates on your Facebook wall directly from your Arduino board Create an automated access control with a fingerprint sensor Control your entire home from a single dashboard Make a GPS tracker that you can track in Google Maps Build a live camera that streams directly from your robot In Detail Arduino is a powerful and very versatile platform used by millions of people around the world to create DIY electronics projects. It can be connected to a wide variety of sensors and other components, making it the ideal platform to build amazing Internet of Things (IoT) projects on—the next wave in the era of computing. This book takes a recipe-based approach, giving you precise examples on how to build IoT projects of all types using the Arduino platform. You will come across projects from several fields, including the popular robotics and home automation domains. Along with being introduced to several forms of interactions within IoT, including projects that directly interact with well-known web services such as Twitter, Facebook, and Dropbox we will also focus on Machine-to-Machine (M2M) interactions, where Arduino projects interact without any human intervention. You will learn to build a few quick and easy-to-make fun projects that will really expand your horizons in the world of IoT and Arduino. Each chapter ends with a troubleshooting recipe that will help you overcome any problems faced while building these projects. By the end of this book, you will not only know how to build these projects, but also have the skills necessary to build your own IoT projects in the future. Style and approach This book takes a recipe-based approach, giving you precise examples on how to build IoT projects using the Arduino platform. You will learn to build fun and easy projects through a task-oriented approach.

Find out how to transform your Arduino device into an awesome secret agent gadget with this course, taking in everything from robotics to remote control cameras About This Book ?This course won’t just teach you. It will help you apply your knowledge so you can get creative – quickly! ?Find out how to make a computer interact with the real-world – you’ll be learning the basics of IoT without realizing it. ?Robots. A sound controlled Christmas tree. This course proves anything is possible with an Arduino! Who This Book Is For Seeking inspirationThis course will help you get creative with your Arduino quickly. What You Will Learn ?Find out how to explore the full potential of your tiny Arduino ?Find out how to bridge the gap between the real world and software, as you gather and visualize data from the environment ?Create simple servers to allow communication to occur ?Transform your Arduino into a GPS tracker ?Use the Arduino to monitor top secret data ?Build a complete spy robot! In Detail An Arduino might be a tiny computer but it can be used as the foundation for a huge range of projects. In this course, we’ll show you how just some of the projects that are possible with an Arduino. From robotics to secret agent gadgets, we’re pretty confident that this course will get you thinking creatively – and inspire you to create your very own new projects using the Arduino hacking skills you learn. This course, combines both text and video content – it’s made up of three modules to help organize your learning. In the first module we’ll show you how to build three different Arduino projects. All of these will not only get you up and running with something practical, they’ll also help you better understand how the Arduino works. Find out how to develop a home automation system and even build a robot! In the second module we’ll go one step further to help you get creative as you learn how to program LEDs with your Arduino. You’ll find out how to build a mood lamp and a remote-controlled TV backlight, before going on to make a sound controlled LED Christmas tree that makes use of sound visualization. Finally, the third module takes you from stylish design into espionage, as you learn how to create neat secret agent gadgets with your Arduino. Find out how to build an alarm system, a fingerprint sensor, even open a lock with a text message. And that’s not all – but to find out more you’ll have to dive in! This Learning Path combines some of the best that Packt has to offer in one complete, curated package. It includes content from the following Packt products: ● Arduino By Example by Adith Jagadish Boloor ● Arduino BLINK Blueprints by Samarth Shah, Utsav Shah ● Arduino for Secret Agents by Marco Shwartz Style and approach Combining both video and text and built from some of Packt’s very best Arduino content, this course comprises of three modules covering a range of projects. It’s completely focused on helping the user get creative as quickly as possible so they can explore what’s possible with Arduino themselves.

Use new features of PHP 7 to solve practical, real-world problems faced by PHP developers like yourself every day. About This Book .This course covers the new features of version 7.x, best practices for server-side programming, and MVC frameworks .Leverage the potential of PHP for server-side programming, memory management, and Object-Oriented Programming to improve your programming productivity .This course also illustrates the development of a complete modular application using PHP 7 in detail Who This Book Is For If you are an aspiring web developer, mobile developer, or back-end programmer, who has basic experience in PHP programming and wants to develop performance-critical applications, then this course is for you. It will take your PHP programming skills to next level. What You Will Learn .Solve practical real-world programming problems using PHP 7 .Discover where and when PHP 5 code needs to be re-written to avoid backwards-compatibility breaks .Use advanced PHP 7 features such as the Abstract Syntax Tree, Uniform Variable Syntax, Scalar Type Hints, Generator Delegation, Anonymous Classes, and the Context Sensitive Lexer .Set up a high performance development and production environment for PHP 7 .Discover new OOP features in PHP 7 to achieve high performance .Discover the new features of PHP 7 that are relevant to modular application development .Explore the ins and outs of the Symfony framework .Build a set of modules based on the Symfony framework that comprise a simple web shop app In Detail PHP is a great language for developing web applications. It is essentially a server-side *ing language. PHP 7 is the latest version, providing major backward-compatibility breaks and focusing on improved performance and speed. This course follows a learning path which is divided into three modules. Each module is a mini course in its own right, taking your basic PHP programing skills to the next level by showing you intermediate to advanced PHP techniques with a focus on PHP 7. This way, get you equipped with the tools and skills required to develop professional and efficient applications for your websites and enterprises. The first module of the book is a programming cookbook that consists over 80 recipes! Each recipe is designed to solve practical, real-world problems faced by PHP developers like yourself every day. This course also covers new ways of writing PHP code made possible only in version 7. The second module of the course is designed to improve the performance and productivity of your application. We’ll introduce you to the concepts of Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) in PHP 7, then shed some light on how to improve the performance of your PHP 7 applications and database. Throughout this module you will be introduced to benchmarking tools. With all important concepts of PHP covered up you will move on to third module. In this module you will gain a deep insight into the modular programming paradigm and how to achieve modularity in your PHP code. Modular design techniques help you build readable, manageable, reusable, and more efficient codes. PHP 7, which is a popular open source *ing language, is used to build modular functions for your software. This Learning Path combines some of the best that Packt has to offer in one complete, curated package. It includes content from the following Packt products: .PHP 7 Programming Cookbook, Doug Bierer .Learning PHP 7 High Performance, Altaf Hussain .Modular Programming with PHP 7, Branko Ajzele Style and approach This book takes a practical, step-by-step approach with real-world examples that serve as building blocks for your application development and guide you through improving the quality of your code.

Develop and implement a fully-functional, systematic CRM plan with CiviCRM About This Book Develop an integrated online system that manages contacts, donations, event registrations, memberships, bulk e-mail, campaigns, case management, and other functions such as activity tracking, grant distribution, and reporting. Plan a constituency relationship management strategy with ladders of engagement that will improve how your organization realizes its mission. Use case studies and step-by-step examples to put the raw concepts into real-life terminology and build your solutions. Who This Book Is For The book is primarily for administrators tasked with implementing, configuring, maintaining, and updating CiviCRM, and staff users who are looking to better understand the tools available in order to become power users. CiviCRM is software that may be used by advocacy groups, non-profit, and non-governmental organizations, elected officials, professional and trade associations, government entities, political campaigns and parties, and other similar organizations, and this book will prove useful to all such users. What You Will Learn Install and configure your CiviCRM Analyze your current workflows and processes to translate them effectively into the CiviCRM model Build an integrated system to solicit, retain, and manage your donors and members through robust management and reporting tools for administrators Raise more money with CiviCRM with effective solicitation campaigns Market events effectively and track registrations and payments Improve communications with constituents using targeted broadcast e-mail campaigns Track ongoing communications with constituents including from Outlook and Gmail using activities and case management tools Take advantage of the many CiviCRM tools to generate both simple and complex event structures and manage registrants through every phase of the project In Detail CiviCRM provides a powerful toolbox of resources to help organizations manage relationships with constituents. It is free, open source, web-based, and geared specifically to meet the constituent relationship management needs of the not-for-profit sector. Beginning with broader questions about how your organization is structured, which existing workflows are critical to your operations, and the overarching purpose of a centralized CRM, the book proceeds step by step through configuring CiviCRM, understanding the choices when setting up the system, importing data, and exploring the breadth of tools available throughout the system. You will see how to best use this software to handle event registrations, accept and track contributions, manage paid and free memberships and sub*ions, segment contacts, send bulk e-mails with open and click-through tracking, manage outreach campaigns, and set up case management workflows that match your organization’s roles and rules. With specific emphasis on helping implementers ask the right questions, consider key principals when setting up the system, and understand usage through case studies and examples, the book comprehensively reviews the functionality of CiviCRM and the opportunities it provides. With this book, you can help your organization better achieve its mission as a charity, industry association, professional society, political advocacy group, community group, government agency, or other similar organization and position yourself to become a power user who efficiently and effectively navigates the system. Style and approach This guide is packed with step-by-step tutorials and real-life examples interspersed with practical advice and best practices on how to use CiviCRM strategically. You will be able to quickly grasp and implement the basic elements of CiviCRM before moving on to more advanced tools.

Develop real-world applications in Windows. About This Book Create diverse applications featuring the versatility of Small Windows C++ library Learn about object-oriented programming in Windows and how to develop a large object-oriented class library in C++ Understand how to tackle application-specific problems along with acquiring a deep understanding of the workings of Windows architecture Who This Book Is For This book is for application developers who want a head-first approach into Windows programming. It will teach you how to develop an object-oriented class library in C++ and enhanced applications in Windows. Basic knowledge of C++ and the object-oriented framework is assumed to get the most out of this book. What You Will Learn Develop advanced real-world applications in Windows Design and implement a graphical object-oriented class library in C++ Get to grips with the workings of the integral aspects of the Win32 API, such as mouse input, drawing, cut-and-paste, file handling, and drop files Identify general problems when developing graphical applications as well as specific problems regarding drawing, spreadsheet, and word processing applications Implement classes, functions, and macros of the object-oriented class library developed in the book and how we implement its functionality by calling functions and macros in the Win32 API In Detail It is critical that modern developers have the right tools to build practical, user-friendly, and efficient applications in order to compete in today’s market. Through hands-on guidance, this book illustrates and demonstrates C++ best practices and the Small Windows object-oriented class library to ease your development of interactive Windows applications. Begin with a focus on high level application development using Small Windows. Learn how to build four real-world applications which focus on the general problems faced when developing graphical applications. Get essential troubleshooting guidance on drawing, spreadsheet, and word processing applications. Finally finish up with a deep dive into the workings of the Small Windows class library, which will give you all the insights you need to build your own object-oriented class library in C++. Style and approach This book takes a tutorial-style approach that will demonstrate the features of a C++ object-oriented library by developing interactive Windows applications.

Achieve the gold standard in penetration testing with Kali using this masterpiece, now in its third edition! About This Book Get a rock-solid insight into penetration testing techniques and test your corporate network against threats like never before Formulate your pentesting strategies by relying on the most up-to-date and feature-rich Kali version in town—Kali Linux 2 (aka Sana). Experience this journey with new cutting-edge wireless penetration tools and a variety of new features to make your pentesting experience smoother Who This Book Is For If you are an IT security professional or a student with basic knowledge of Unix/Linux operating systems, including an awareness of information security factors, and you want to use Kali Linux for penetration testing, this book is for you. What You Will Learn Find out to download and install your own copy of Kali Linux Properly scope and conduct the initial stages of a penetration test Conduct reconnaissance and enumeration of target networks Exploit and gain a foothold on a target system or network Obtain and crack passwords Use the Kali Linux NetHunter install to conduct wireless penetration testing Create proper penetration testing reports In Detail Kali Linux is a comprehensive penetration testing platform with advanced tools to identify, detect, and exploit the vulnerabilities uncovered in the target network environment. With Kali Linux, you can apply appropriate testing methodology with defined business objectives and a scheduled test plan, resulting in a successful penetration testing project engagement. Kali Linux – Assuring Security by Penetration Testing is a fully focused, structured book providing guidance on developing practical penetration testing skills by demonstrating cutting-edge hacker tools and techniques with a coherent, step-by-step approach. This book offers you all of the essential lab preparation and testing procedures that reflect real-world attack scenarios from a business perspective, in today's digital age. Style and approach This practical guide will showcase penetration testing through cutting-edge tools and techniques using a coherent, step-by-step approach.

Extend your game development skills by harnessing the power of Android SDK About This Book Gain the knowledge to design and build highly interactive and amazing games for your phone and tablet from scratch Create games that run at super-smooth 60 frames per second with the help of these easy-to-follow projects Understand the internals of a game engine by building one and seeing the reasoning behind each of the components Who This Book Is For If you are completely new to Java, Android, or game programming, this book is for you. If you want to publish Android games for fun or for business and are not sure where to start, then this book will show you what to do, step by step, from the start. What You Will Learn Set up an efficient, professional game development environment in Android Studio Explore object-oriented programming (OOP) and design scalable, reliable, and well-written Java games or apps on almost any Android device Build simple to advanced game engines for different types of game, with cool features such as sprite sheet character animation and scrolling parallax backgrounds Implement basic and advanced collision detection mechanics Process multitouch screen input effectively and efficiently Implement a flexible and advanced game engine that uses OpenGL ES 2 to ensure fast, smooth frame rates Use animations and particle systems to provide a rich experience Create beautiful, responsive, and reusable UIs by taking advantage of the Android SDK Integrate Google Play Services to provide achievements and leaderboards to the players In Detail Gaming has historically been a strong driver of technology, whether we're talking about hardware or software performance, the variety of input methods, or graphics support, and the Android game platform is no different. Android is a mature, yet still growing, platform that many game developers have embraced as it provides tools, APIs, and services to help bootstrap Android projects and ensure their success, many of which are specially designed to help game developers. Since Android uses one of the most popular programming languages, Java, as the primary language to build apps of all types, you will start this course by first obtaining a solid grasp of the Java language and its foundation APIs. This will improve your chances of succeeding as an Android app developer. We will show you how to get your Android development environment set up and you will soon have your first working game. The course covers all the aspects of game development through various engrossing and insightful game projects. You will learn all about frame-by-frame animations and resource animations using a space shooter game, create beautiful and responsive menus and dialogs, and explore the different options to play sound effects and music in Android. You will also learn the basics of creating a particle system and will see how to use the Leonids library. By the end of the course, you will be able to configure and use Google Play Services on the developer console and port your game to the big screen. This Learning Path combines some of the best that Packt has to offer in one complete, curated package. It includes content from the following Packt products: Learning Java by Building Android Games by John Horton Android Game Programming by Example by John Horton Mastering Android Game Development by Raul Portales Style and approach This course is a step-by-step guide where you will learn to build Android games from scratch. It takes a practical approach where each project is a game. It starts off with simple arcade games, and then gradually the complexity of the games keep on increasing as you uncover the new and advanced tools that Android offers.

Explore the world of data science from scratch with Julia by your side About This Book An in-depth exploration of Julia's growing ecosystem of packages Work with the most powerful open-source libraries for deep learning, data wrangling, and data visualization Learn about deep learning using Mocha.jl and give speed and high performance to data analysis on large data sets Who This Book Is For This book is aimed at data analysts and aspiring data scientists who have a basic knowledge of Julia or are completely new to it. The book also appeals to those competent in R and Python and wish to adopt Julia to improve their skills set in Data Science. It would be beneficial if the readers have a good background in statistics and computational mathematics. What You Will Learn Apply statistical models in Julia for data-driven decisions Understanding the process of data munging and data preparation using Julia Explore techniques to visualize data using Julia and D3 based packages Using Julia to create self-learning systems using cutting edge machine learning algorithms Create supervised and unsupervised machine learning systems using Julia. Also, explore ensemble models Build a recommendation engine in Julia Dive into Julia’s deep learning framework and build a system using Mocha.jl In Detail Julia is a fast and high performing language that's perfectly suited to data science with a mature package ecosystem and is now feature complete. It is a good tool for a data science practitioner. There was a famous post at Harvard Business Review that Data Scientist is the sexiest job of the 21st century. (https://hbr.org/2012/10/data-scientist-the-sexiest-job-of-the-21st-century). This book will help you get familiarised with Julia's rich ecosystem, which is continuously evolving, allowing you to stay on top of your game. This book contains the essentials of data science and gives a high-level overview of advanced statistics and techniques. You will dive in and will work on generating insights by performing inferential statistics, and will reveal hidden patterns and trends using data mining. This has the practical coverage of statistics and machine learning. You will develop knowledge to build statistical models and machine learning systems in Julia with attractive visualizations. You will then delve into the world of Deep learning in Julia and will understand the framework, Mocha.jl with which you can create artificial neural networks and implement deep learning. This book addresses the challenges of real-world data science problems, including data cleaning, data preparation, inferential statistics, statistical modeling, building high-performance machine learning systems and creating effective visualizations using Julia. Style and approach This practical and easy-to-follow yet comprehensive guide will get you learning about Julia with respect to data science. Each topic is explained thoroughly and placed in context. For the more inquisitive, we dive deeper into the language and its use case. This is the one true guide to working with Julia in data science.

Start empowering users and protecting corporate data, while managing Identities and Access with Microsoft Azure in different environments About This Book Deep dive into the Microsoft Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) solution Design, implement and manage simple and complex hybrid identity and access management environments Learn to apply solution architectures directly to your business needs and understand how to identify and manage business drivers during transitions Who This Book Is For This book is for business decision makers, IT consultants, and system and security engineers who wish to plan, design, and implement Identity and Access Management solutions with Microsoft Azure. What You Will Learn Apply technical de*ions and solution architectures directly to your business needs and deployments Identify and manage business drivers and architecture changes to transition between different scenarios Understand and configure all relevant Identity and Access Management key features and concepts Implement simple and complex directory integration, authentication, and authorization scenarios Get to know about modern identity management, authentication, and authorization protocols and standards Implement and configure a modern information protection solution Integrate and configure future improvements in authentication and authorization functionality of Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016 In Detail Microsoft Azure and its Identity and Access Management is at the heart of Microsoft’s Software as a Service, including Office 365, Dynamics CRM, and Enterprise Mobility Management. It is an essential tool to master in order to effectively work with the Microsoft Cloud. Through practical, project based learning this book will impart that mastery. Beginning with the basics of features and licenses, this book quickly moves on to the user and group lifecycle required to design roles and administrative units for role-based access control (RBAC). Learn to design Azure AD to be an identity provider and provide flexible and secure access to SaaS applications. Get to grips with how to configure and manage users, groups, roles, and administrative units to provide a user- and group-based application and self-service access including the audit functionality. Next find out how to take advantage of managing common identities with the Microsoft Identity Manager 2016 and build cloud identities with the Azure AD Connect utility. Construct blueprints with different authentication scenarios including multi-factor authentication. Discover how to configure and manage the identity synchronization and federation environment along with multi -factor authentication, conditional access, and information protection scenarios to apply the required security functionality. Finally, get recommendations for planning and implementing a future-oriented and sustainable identity and access management strategy. Style and approach A practical, project-based learning experience explained through hands-on examples.

Your one-stop resource for mastering extensions and customizations in JIRA 7+ About This Book Explore the new features of JIRA 7 and best practices for agile development and integration with development tools Customize the look and feel of your JIRA UI to match your specific user needs Create seamless reports that make sense of your data through easy-to-use techniques Who This Book Is For If you are a JIRA developer or administrator, or a project manager who wants to fully exploit the exciting capabilities of JIRA, then this is the perfect book for you. What You Will Learn Create and deploy your own JIRA plugins Manipulate workflows to transform JIRA into a user-friendly system Create custom reports that show statistics for particular people, projects, versions, or other fields within issues Simplify reporting by writing your own JIRA gadgets, which can be added into a user's dashboard Master database handling by extending and retrieving custom field details from the database Deal with custom fields on an issue and program custom field option In Detail JIRA provides issue and project tracking for software development teams to improve code quality and the speed of development. With the new version of JIRA, you can create your own JIRA plugins and customize the look and feel of your JIRA UI easier than ever. JIRA Development Cookbook , Third Edition, is a one-stop resource to master extensions and customizations in JIRA. This book starts with recipes about simplifying the plugin development process followed by recipes dedicated to the plugin framework. Then, you will move on to writing custom field plugins to create new field types or custom searchers. You will also learn how to program and customize workflows to transform JIRA into a user-friendly system. With so much data spanning different projects, issues, and so on, we will cover how to work on reports and gadgets to get customized data according to our needs. At the end of the book, you will learn how to customize JIRA by adding new tabs, menus, and web items; communicate with JIRA via the REST APIs; and work with the JIRA database. Style and approach The most unique aspect of this book is its approach. This book is recipe-based, with real-world examples, that will empower you to implement agile processes and explore the exciting capabilities of Jira.

Hone your skills by learning classic data structures and algorithms in JavaScript About This Book Understand common data structures and the associated algorithms, as well as the context in which they are used. Master existing JavaScript data structures such as array, set and map and learn how to implement new ones such as stacks, linked lists, trees and graphs. All concepts are explained in an easy way, followed by examples. Who This Book Is For If you are a student of Computer Science or are at the start of your technology career and want to explore JavaScript’s optimum ability, this book is for you. You need a basic knowledge of JavaScript and programming logic to start having fun with algorithms. What You Will Learn Declare, initialize, add, and remove items from arrays, stacks, and queues Get the knack of using algorithms such as DFS (Depth-first Search) and BFS (Breadth-First Search) for the most complex data structures Harness the power of creating linked lists, doubly linked lists, and circular linked lists Store unique elements with hash tables, dictionaries, and sets Use binary trees and binary search trees Sort data structures using a range of algorithms such as bubble sort, insertion sort, and quick sort In Detail This book begins by covering basics of the JavaScript language and introducing ECMAScript 7, before gradually moving on to the current implementations of ECMAScript 6. You will gain an in-depth knowledge of how hash tables and set data structure functions, as well as how trees and hash maps can be used to search files in a HD or represent a database. This book is an accessible route deeper into JavaScript. Graphs being one of the most complex data structures you’ll encounter, we’ll also give you a better understanding of why and how graphs are largely used in GPS navigation systems in social networks. Toward the end of the book, you’ll discover how all the theories presented by this book can be applied in real-world solutions while working on your own computer networks and Facebook searches. Style and approach This book gets straight to the point, providing you with examples of how a data structure or algorithm can be used and giving you real-world applications of the algorithm in JavaScript. With real-world use cases associated with each data structure, the book explains which data structure should be used to achieve the desired results in the real world.

100 recipes that teach you how to perform various machine learning tasks in the real world About This Book Understand which algorithms to use in a given context with the help of this exciting recipe-based guide Learn about perceptrons and see how they are used to build neural networks Stuck while making sense of images, text, speech, and real estateThis guide will come to your rescue, showing you how to perform machine learning for each one of these using various techniques Who This Book Is For This book is for Python programmers who are looking to use machine-learning algorithms to create real-world applications. This book is friendly to Python beginners, but familiarity with Python programming would certainly be useful to play around with the code. What You Will Learn Explore classification algorithms and apply them to the income bracket estimation problem Use predictive modeling and apply it to real-world problems Understand how to perform market segmentation using unsupervised learning Explore data visualization techniques to interact with your data in diverse ways Find out how to build a recommendation engine Understand how to interact with text data and build models to analyze it Work with speech data and recognize spoken words using Hidden Markov Models Analyze stock market data using Conditional Random Fields Work with image data and build systems for image recognition and biometric face recognition Grasp how to use deep neural networks to build an optical character recognition system In Detail Machine learning is becoming increasingly pervasive in the modern data-driven world. It is used extensively across many fields such as search engines, robotics, self-driving cars, and more. With this book, you will learn how to perform various machine learning tasks in different environments. We’ll start by exploring a range of real-life scenarios where machine learning can be used, and look at various building blocks. Throughout the book, you’ll use a wide variety of machine learning algorithms to solve real-world problems and use Python to implement these algorithms. You’ll discover how to deal with various types of data and explore the differences between machine learning paradigms such as supervised and unsupervised learning. We also cover a range of regression techniques, classification algorithms, predictive modeling, data visualization techniques, recommendation engines, and more with the help of real-world examples. Style and approach You will explore various real-life scenarios in this book where machine learning can be used, and learn about different building blocks of machine learning using independent recipes in the book.

Start pulling the strings of your infrastructure with Puppet – learn how to configure, customize, and manage your systems more intelligently About This Book Explore the wider Puppet ecosystem of useful tools Design and manage your Puppet architecture for optimum performance Write more efficient code that keeps your infrastructure more robust Who This Book Is For If you are a Puppet user, this book will help you on different levels. If you a beginner, we summarize the key Puppet components and give you the elements to have a broader vision. For more experienced users, you will be surprised by with topics on designing, implementing, adapting, and deploying Puppet architectures. If you are expert, you will find topics and information that is rarely exposed in other books, giving you an insight into Puppet's future and its usage on alternative devices. What You Will Learn Learn the principles of Puppet language and ecosystem Extract the features of Hiera and PuppetDB’s power usage Explore the different approaches to Puppet architecture design Use Puppet to manage network, cloud, and virtualization devices Manage and test the Puppet code workflow Tweak, hack, and adapt the Puppet extension points Get a run through of the strategies and patterns to introduce Puppet automation Master the art of writing reusable modules In Detail Puppet has changed the way we manage our systems, but Puppet itself is changing and evolving, and so are the ways we are using it. To tackle our IT infrastructure challenges and avoid common errors when designing our architectures, an up-to-date, practical, and focused view of the current and future Puppet evolution is what we need. With Puppet, you define the state of your IT infrastructure, and it automatically enforces the desired state. This book will be your guide to designing and deploying your Puppet architecture. It will help you utilize Puppet to manage your IT infrastructure. Get to grips with Hiera and learn how to install and configure it, before learning best practices for writing reusable and maintainable code. You will also be able to explore the latest features of Puppet 4, before executing, testing, and deploying Puppet across your systems. As you progress, Extending Puppet takes you through higher abstraction modules, along with tips for effective code workflow management. Finally, you will learn how to develop plugins for Puppet - as well as some useful techniques that can help you to avoid common errors and overcome everyday challenges. Style and approach This is a collection of specific information about multiple topics related to Puppet and its ecosystem. Starting from a review of the very basics to more advanced topics, mixing practical advice with important theory and broader perspective, along with implementation details.

A fast-paced guide to get you up and running with Android application development using Android Studio 2 About This Book Configure, build, and run Android projects with Android Studio 2 Test your apps using the Android emulator and learn how to manage virtual devices Explore how Android Studio 2 can be made a part of your workflow to reduce the overall development time Who This Book Is For If you are an Android developer looking to quickly take advantage of Android Studio 2 and add it to your workflow, then this book is for you. It is assumed that you are familiar with the OOP paradigm and Java. You are recommended to have prior knowledge of the main characteristics of the Android mobile system to get the most out of this book. What You Will Learn Install Android Studio on your system and configure the Android Software Development Kit Create your first project and explore its structure Manage a project in Android Studio 2 with Gradle Improve your productivity while programming by getting the best of the code editor Design the user interface using layouts and see how to handle various user events Integrate Google Play services into your project efficiently Monitor your app while it's running and constantly improve its performance In Detail Android Studio 2, the official IDE for Android application development, dramatically improves your workflow by letting you quickly see changes running on your device or emulator. It gives developers a unique platform by making app builds and deployment faster. This book will get you up and running with all the essential features of Android Studio 2 to optimize your development workflow. Starting off with the basic installation and configuration of Android Studio 2, this book will help you build a new project by showing you how to create a custom launcher icon and guiding you to choose your project. You will then gain an insight into the additional tools provided in Android Studio, namely the Software Development Kit (SDK) Manager, Android Virtual Device (AVD) Manager, and Javadoc. You’ll also see how to integrate Google Play Services in an Android project. Finally, you’ll become familiar with the Help section in Android Studio, which will enable you to search for support you might require in different scenarios. Style and approach A comprehensive and practical guide that will give you the essential skills required to develop Android applications quickly using Android Studio. With the help of a real-world project, this book will show how to make Android Studio a part of your development process and optimize it.

Build up your e-learning development skills with Articulate Storyline About This Book Develop interactive e-learning projects using advanced techniques Impress your clients and/or audience with out-of-the-box interactions Step-by-step walkthroughs provide practical solutions Who This Book Is For This book is for anyone experienced in using the basic functions of Articulate Storyline who are yearning to learn more. It’s designed to provide a brief overview of key concepts, to help you refresh your knowledge of common functions, and teach you how to push Storyline to the limit! What You Will Learn Familiarize yourself with best practices for e-learning development Review key Storyline concepts before diving in deep with development Discover new ways of working within Storyline to extend slide content and enhance interactivity Personalize your story with advanced variable-based interactions See how JavaScript can be used in your stories to do some really neat things Assess your learners using customized assessment options and find out how to troubleshoot common issues Customize the learning experience by modifying the player properties and publishing settings Customize your story and prepare it for publishing In Detail Storyline is a powerful e-learning authoring tool that allows you to take your creativity to the next level. However, more often than not, projects don't require such complex interactions, leaving Storyline's full capabilities untapped. This book will provide you with the information you need to take your Storyline development up a notch by leveraging the full suite of possibilities Storyline has to offer. You will be provided with a refresher of the key concepts before we take you deep into the exciting world of enhanced interactivity, variables, and even some JavaScript—oh my! With downloadable activities, you can either follow along and compare your output, use the activities as they are, modify the activities to suit your own needs, or reverse-engineer the activities to better understand how they were developed. Style and approach You’ll get hands-on working with project files that were created with you in mind. As you move through each chapters, the practical, step-by-step approach will get you using some of the more advanced features of Storyline to create polished and snazzy interactions.