Understand the core concepts of deep learning and deep reinforcement learning by applying them to develop games Key Features * Apply the power of deep learning to complex reasoning tasks by building a Game AI * Exploit the most recent developments in machine learning and AI for building smart games * Implement deep learning models and neural networks with Python Book Description The number of applications of deep learning and neural networks has multiplied in the last couple of years. Neural nets has enabled significant breakthroughs in everything from computer vision, voice generation, voice recognition and self-driving cars. Game development is also a key area where these techniques are being applied. This book will give an in depth view of the potential of deep learning and neural networks in game development. We will take a look at the foundations of multi-layer perceptron’s to using convolutional and recurrent networks. In applications from GANs that create music or textures to self-driving cars and chatbots. Then we introduce deep reinforcement learning through the multi-armed bandit problem and other OpenAI Gym environments. As we progress through the book we will gain insights about DRL techniques such as Motivated Reinforcement Learning with Curiosity and Curriculum Learning. We also take a closer look at deep reinforcement learning and in particular the Unity ML-Agents toolkit. By the end of the book, we will look at how to apply DRL and the ML-Agents toolkit to enhance, test and automate your games or simulations. Finally, we will cover your possible next steps and possible areas for future learning. What you will learn * Learn the foundations of neural networks and deep learning. * Use advanced neural network architectures in applications to create music, textures, self driving cars and chatbots. * Understand the basics of reinforcement and DRL and how to apply it to solve a variety of problems. * Working with Unity ML-Agents toolkit and how to install, setup and run the kit. * Understand core concepts of DRL and the differences between discrete and continuous action environments. * Use several advanced forms of learning in various scenarios from developing agents to testing games. Who this book is for This books is for game developers who wish to create highly interactive games by leveraging the power of machine and deep learning. No prior knowledge of machine learning, deep learning or neural networks is required this book will teach those concepts from scratch. A good understanding of Python is required.

Understand the fundamentals of C# programming and get started with coding from ground up in an engaging and practical manner Key Features * Beginner's guide to getting started with software development concepts from a macro level * Leverage the power of the latest C# in solving the complex programming problems * Learn to script and customize your 3D games and implement animation techniques to make them engaging Book Description Learning to program in today’s technical landscape can be a daunting task, especially when faced with the sheer number of languages you have to choose from. Luckily, Learning C# with Unity 2019 removes the guesswork and starts you off on the path to becoming a confident, and competent, programmer using game development with Unity. You’ll start off small by learning the building blocks of programming, from variables, methods, and conditional statements to classes and object-oriented systems. After you have the basics under your belt you’ll explore the Unity interface, creating C# scripts, and translating your newfound knowledge into simple game mechanics. Throughout this journey, you’ll get hands-on experience with programming best practices and macro-level topics such as manager classes and flexible application architecture. By the end of the book, you’ll be familiar with intermediate C# topics like generics, delegates, and events, setting you up to take on projects of your own. What you will learn * Understand programming fundamentals with practice examples in C# * Explore the interface and features of Unity 2019 * Learn C# programming syntax from scratch * Create a game design document and prototype level * Explore intermediate programming topics and best practices * Implement game mechanics, interactions, and UI elements with C# Who this book is for The book caters to developers and programmers who want to get started with C# programming in a fun and engaging manner. Anyone who wants to build games and script in C# language and Unity can take this book up. No prior programming or Unity experience is required.

A concise walk-through of CentOS 7, starting from installation to securing it’s environment. Key Features *No previous Linux environment experience needed for reading this book *Get comfortable with a popular and stable Red Hat Enterprise Linux distribution *Most of the command line based concepts are explained with graphics Book Description Linux kernel development has been the worlds largest collaborative project to date. With this practical guide, you will learn Linux through one of its most popular and stable distributions. This book will introduce you to essential Linux skills using CentOS 7. It describes how a Linux system is organized, and will introduce you to key command-line concepts you can practice on your own. It will guide you in performing basic system administration tasks and day-to-day operations in a Linux environment. You will learn core system administration skills for managing a system running CentOS 7 or a similar operating system, such as RHEL 7, Scientific Linux, and Oracle Linux. You will be able to perform installation, establish network connectivity and user and process management, modify file permissions, manage text files using the command line, and implement basic security administration after covering this book. By the end of this book, you will have a solid understanding of working with Linux using the command line. What you will learn *Understand file system hierarchy and essential command-line skills *Use Vi editor, I/O redirections and how to work with common text manipulating tools *Create, delete, modify user accounts and manage passwords and their aging policy *Manage file ownership, permissions, and ACL *Execute process management and monitoring on the command line *Validate and manage network configuration using nmcli *Manage remote logins using SSH and file transfer using SCP and Rsync *Understand system logging, how to control system services with systemd and systemctl, and manage firewalId Who this book is for Any individual who wants to learn how to use Linux as server or desktop in his environment. Whether you are a developer, budding system administrator, or tech lover with no previous Linux administration background, you will be able to start your journey in Linux using CentOS 7 with this book.

Explore the best tools and techniques to create lightweight, maintainable, and scalable Python web services Key Features *Combine Python with different data sources to build complex RESTful APIs from scratch *Configure and fine-tune your APIs using the best tools and techniques available *Use command-line and GUI tools to test CRUD operations performed by RESTful Web Services or APIs Book Description Python is the language of choice for millions of developers worldwide that builds great web services in RESTful architecture. This second edition of Hands-On RESTful Python Web Services will cover the best tools you can use to build engaging web services. This book shows you how to develop RESTful APIs using the most popular Python frameworks and all the necessary stacks with Python, combined with related libraries and tools. You’ll learn to incorporate all new features of Python 3.7, Flask 1.0.2, Django 2.1, Tornado 5.1, and also a new framework, Pyramid. As you advance through the chapters, you will get to grips with each of these frameworks to build various web services, and be shown use cases and best practices covering when to use a particular framework. You’ll then successfully develop RESTful APIs with all frameworks and understand how each framework processes HTTP requests and routes URLs. You’ll also discover best practices for validation, serialization, and deserialization. In the concluding chapters, you will take advantage of specific features available in certain frameworks such as integrated ORMs, built-in authorization and authentication, and work with asynchronous code. At the end of each framework, you will write tests for RESTful APIs and improve code coverage. By the end of the book, you will have gained a deep understanding of the stacks needed to build RESTful web services. What you will learn *Select the most appropriate framework based on requirements *Develop complex RESTful APIs from scratch using Python *Use requests handlers, URL patterns, serialization, and validations *Add authentication, authorization, and interaction with ORMs and databases *Debug, test, and improve RESTful APIs with four frameworks *Design RESTful APIs with frameworks and create automated tests Who this book is for This book is for web developers who have a working knowledge of Python and would like to build amazing web services by taking advantage of the various frameworks of Python. You should have some knowledge of RESTful APIs.

Demystify the complexity of machine learning techniques and create evolving, clever solutions to solve your problems Key Features *Master supervised, unsupervised, and semi-supervised ML algorithms and their implementation *Build deep learning models for object detection, image classification, similarity learning, and more *Build, deploy, and scale end-to-end deep neural network models in a production environment Book Description This Learning Path is your complete guide to quickly getting to grips with popular machine learning algorithms. You'll be introduced to the most widely used algorithms in supervised, unsupervised, and semi-supervised machine learning, and learn how to use them in the best possible manner. Ranging from Bayesian models to the MCMC algorithm to Hidden Markov models, this Learning Path will teach you how to extract features from your dataset and perform dimensionality reduction by making use of Python-based libraries. You'll bring the use of TensorFlow and Keras to build deep learning models, using concepts such as transfer learning, generative adversarial networks, and deep reinforcement learning. Next, you'll learn the advanced features of TensorFlow1.x, such as distributed TensorFlow with TF clusters, deploy production models with TensorFlow Serving. You'll implement different techniques related to object classification, object detection, image segmentation, and more. By the end of this Learning Path, you'll have obtained in-depth knowledge of TensorFlow, making you the go-to person for solving artificial intelligence problems This Learning Path includes content from the following Packt products: *Mastering Machine Learning Algorithms by Giuseppe Bonaccorso *Mastering TensorFlow 1.x by Armando Fandango *Deep Learning for Computer Vision by Rajalingappaa Shanmugamani What you will learn *Explore how an ML model can be trained, optimized, and evaluated *Work with Autoencoders and Generative Adversarial Networks *Explore the most important Reinforcement Learning techniques *Build end-to-end deep learning (CNN, RNN, and Autoencoders) models Who this book is for This Learning Path is for data scientists, machine learning engineers, artificial intelligence engineers who want to delve into complex machine learning algorithms, calibrate models, and improve the predictions of the trained model. You will encounter the advanced intricacies and complex use cases of deep learning and AI. A basic knowledge of programming in Python and some understanding of machine learning concepts are required to get the best out of this Learning Path.

Design, develop, and master efficient Power BI solutions for impactful business insights Key Features *Get to grips with the fundamentals of Microsoft Power BI *Combine data from multiple sources, create visuals, and publish reports across platforms *Understand Power BI concepts with real-world use cases Book Description Microsoft Power BI Complete Reference Guide gets you started with business intelligence by showing you how to install the Power BI toolset, design effective data models, and build basic dashboards and visualizations that make your data come to life. In this Learning Path, you will learn to create powerful interactive reports by visualizing your data and learn visualization styles, tips and tricks to bring your data to life. You will be able to administer your organization's Power BI environment to create and share dashboards. You will also be able to streamline deployment by implementing security and regular data refreshes. Next, you will delve deeper into the nuances of Power BI and handling projects. You will get acquainted with planning a Power BI project, development, and distribution of content, and deployment. You will learn to connect and extract data from various sources to create robust datasets, reports, and dashboards. Additionally, you will learn how to format reports and apply custom visuals, animation and analytics to further refine your data. By the end of this Learning Path, you will learn to implement the various Power BI tools such as on-premises gateway together along with staging and securely distributing content via apps. This Learning Path includes content from the following Packt products: *Microsoft Power BI Quick Start Guide by Devin Knight et al. *Mastering Microsoft Power BI by Brett Powell What you will learn *Connect to data sources using both import and DirectQuery options *Leverage built-in and custom visuals to design effective reports *Administer a Power BI cloud tenant for your organization *Deploy your Power BI Desktop files into the Power BI Report Server *Build efficient data retrieval and transformation processes Who this book is for Microsoft Power BI Complete Reference Guide is for those who want to learn and use the Power BI features to extract maximum information and make intelligent decisions that boost their business. If you have a basic understanding of BI concepts and want to learn how to apply them using Microsoft Power BI, then Learning Path is for you. It consists of real-world examples on Power BI and goes deep into the technical issues, covers additional protocols, and much more.

Work on practical computer vision projects covering advanced object detector techniques and modern deep learning and machine learning algorithms Key Features *Learn about the new features that help unlock the full potential of OpenCV 4 *Build face detection applications with a cascade classifier using face landmarks *Create an optical character recognition (OCR) model using deep learning and convolutional neural networks Book Description Mastering OpenCV, now in its third edition, targets computer vision engineers taking their first steps toward mastering OpenCV. Keeping the mathematical formulations to a solid but bare minimum, the book delivers complete projects from ideation to running code, targeting current hot topics in computer vision such as face recognition, landmark detection and pose estimation, and number recognition with deep convolutional networks. You’ll learn from experienced OpenCV experts how to implement computer vision products and projects both in academia and industry in a comfortable package. You’ll get acquainted with API functionality and gain insights into design choices in a complete computer vision project. You’ll also go beyond the basics of computer vision to implement solutions for complex image processing projects. By the end of the book, you will have created various working prototypes with the help of projects in the book and be well versed with the new features of OpenCV4. What you will learn *Build real-world computer vision problems with working OpenCV code samples *Uncover best practices in engineering and maintaining OpenCV projects *Explore algorithmic design approaches for complex computer vision tasks *Work with OpenCV’s most updated API (v4.0.0) through projects *Understand 3D scene reconstruction and Structure from Motion (SfM) *Study camera calibration and overlay AR using the ArUco Module Who this book is for This book is for those who have a basic knowledge of OpenCV and are competent C++ programmers. You need to have an understanding of some of the more theoretical/mathematical concepts, as we move quite quickly throughout the book.

Explore Xamarin.Forms to develop dynamic applications Key Features *Explore SQLite through Xamarin to store locations for various location-based applications *Make a real-time serverless chat service by using Azure SignalR service *Build Augmented Reality application with the power of UrhoSharp together with ARKit and ARCore Book Description Xamarin.Forms is a lightweight cross-platform development toolkit for building applications with a rich user interface. In this book you'll start by building projects that explain the Xamarin.Forms ecosystem to get up and running with building cross-platform applications. We'll increase in difficulty throughout the projects, making you learn the nitty-gritty of Xamarin.Forms offerings. You'll gain insights into the architecture, how to arrange your app's design, where to begin developing, what pitfalls exist, and how to avoid them. The book contains seven real-world projects, to get you hands-on with building rich UIs and providing a truly cross-platform experience. It will also guide you on how to set up a machine for Xamarin app development. You'll build a simple to-do application that gets you going, then dive deep into building advanced apps such as messaging platform, games, and machine learning, to build a UI for an augmented reality project. By the end of the book, you'll be confident in building cross-platforms and fitting Xamarin.Forms toolkits in your app development. You'll be able to take the practice you get from this book to build applications that comply with your requirements. What you will learn *Set up a machine for Xamarin development *Get to know about MVVM and data bindings in Xamarin.Forms *Understand how to use custom renderers to gain platform-specific access *Discover Geolocation services through Xamarin Essentials *Create an abstraction of ARKit and ARCore to expose as a single API for the game *Learn how to train a model for image *classification with Azure Cognitive Services Who this book is for This book is for mobile application developers who want to start building native mobile apps using the powerful Xamarin.Forms and C#. Working knowledge of C#, .NET, and Visual Studio is required.

Build fast, robust, and maintainable modern full-stack web applications using MongoDB, Express, Angular, and Node.js. Key Features * Build highly scalable, asynchronous, and event-driven APIs * Develop a user authentication system with MEAN * Build a full-fledged application using the MEAN stack Book Description MongoDB, Express, Angular and Node.js Fundamentals is a practical guide to the tried-and-true production-ready MEAN stack, with tips and best practices. The book begins by demystifying the MEAN architecture. You’ll take a look at the features of the JavaScript libraries, technologies, and frameworks that make up a MEAN stack. With this book, you'll not only learn how to develop highly scalable, asynchronous, and event-driven APIs quickly with Express and Node.js, but you'll also be able put your full-stack skills to use by building two full-fledged MEAN applications from scratch. You’ll understand how to build a blogging application using the MEAN stack and get to grips with user authentication using MEAN. As you progress through the chapters, you’ll explore some old and new features of Angular, such as pipes, reactive forms, modules and optimizing apps, animations and unit testing, and much more. By the end of the book, you’ll get ready to take control of the MEAN stack and transform into a full-stack JavaScript developer, developing efficient web applications using Javascript technologies. What you will learn * Understand the MEAN architecture * Create RESTful APIs to complete CRUD tasks * Build a blogging application with basic features * Describe best practices to secure node applications * Implement authentication and authorization * Creating simple animations using Angular * Perform unit testing on Angular applications Who this book is for If you are a beginner or intermediate frontend developer who wants to become full-stack JavaScript developer, this book is ideal for you. You'll need some prior exposure to MongoDB as we skim over its basics before getting straight to work.

Extend your skills with Odoo 12 to build resourceful and open source business applications Key Features *Explore Odoo 12 capabilities to develop business applications *Program business logic and manipulate data to implement specific business rules in your applications *Integrate Python APIs for building customizable and scalable business logic Book Description Odoo is one of the best platforms for open source ERP and CRM. Its latest version, Odoo 12, brings with it new features and updates in Python packages to develop more customizable applications with additional cloud capabilities. The book begins by covering the development essentials for building business applications. You will start your journey by learning how to install and configure Odoo, and then transition from having no specific knowledge of Odoo to being ready for application development. You will develop your first Odoo application and understand topics such as models and views. Odoo 12 Development Essentials will also guide you in using server APIs to add business logic, helping you lay a solid foundation for advanced topics. As you progress through the chapters, you will be equipped to build and customize your applications and explore the new features in Odoo 12, such as cloud integration, to scale your business applications. You will get insights into building business logic and integrating various APIs into your application. By the end of the book, you will be able to build a business application from scratch by using the latest version of Odoo. What you will learn *Manage Odoo server instances *Create a new Odoo application from scratch using the most frequently used elements *Develop new models and use inheritance to extend existing models *Use ORM methods in the Odoo server and from external clients *Create Kanban views using QWeb effectively *Build custom web and website CMS pages *Use external APIs to integrate Odoo with external applications *Add automated tests and techniques to debug module business logic Who this book is for If you are a developer familiar with Python and MVC design and want to build business applications using Odoo, this book is for you.

Learn to work with XRP and build applications on Ripple's blockchain Key Features *Learn to use Ripple’s decentralized system for transfering digital assets globally *A simpilfied and shortened learning curve to understand the Ripple innovation and Blockchain *Takes a hands-on approach to work with XRP – Ripple’s native currency Book Description This book starts by giving you an understanding of the basics of blockchain and the Ripple protocol. You will then get some hands-on experience of working with XRP. You will learn how to set up a Ripple wallet and see how seamlessly you can transfer money abroad. You will learn about different types of wallets through which you can store and transact XRP, along with the security precautions you need to take to keep your money safe. Since Ripple is currency agnostic, it can enable the transfer of value in USD, EUR, and any other currency. You can even transfer digital assets using Ripple. You will see how you can pay an international merchant with their own native currency and how Ripple can exchange it on the ?y. Once you understand the applications of Ripple, you will learn how to create a conditionally-held escrow using the Ripple API, and how to send and cash checks. Finally, you will also understand the common misconceptions people have about Ripple and discover the potential risks you must consider before making investment decisions. By the end of this book, you will have a solid foundation for working with Ripple's blockchain. Using it, you will be able to solve problems caused by traditional systems in your respective industry. What you will learn *Understand the fundamentals of blockchain and Ripple *Learn how to choose a Ripple wallet *Set up a Ripple wallet to send and receive XRP *Learn how to protect your XRP *Understand the applications of Ripple *Learn how to work with the Ripple API *Learn how to build applications on check and escrow features of Ripple Who this book is for This book is for anyone interested in getting their hands on Ripple technology and learn where it can be used to gain competitive advantages in their respective fields. For most parts of the book, you need not have any pre-requisite knowledge. However, you need to have basic background of JavaScript to write an escrow.

Leverage the power of Python, Ansible and other network automation tools to make your network robust and more secure Key Features *Get introduced to the concept of network automation with relevant use cases *Apply Continuous Integration and DevOps to improve your network performance *Implement effective automation using tools such as Python, Ansible, and more Book Description Network automation is the use of IT controls to supervise and carry out everyday network management functions. It plays a key role in network virtualization technologies and network functions. The book starts by providing an introduction to network automation, and its applications, which include integrating DevOps tools to automate the network efficiently. It then guides you through different network automation tasks and covers various data digging and performing tasks such as ensuring golden state configurations using templates, interface parsing. This book also focuses on Intelligent Operations using Artificial Intelligence and troubleshooting using chatbots and voice commands. The book then moves on to the use of Python and the management of SSH keys for machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, all followed by practical use cases. The book also covers the importance of Ansible for network automation, including best practices in automation; ways to test automated networks using tools such as Puppet, SaltStack, and Chef; and other important techniques. Through practical use-cases and examples, this book will acquaint you with the various aspects of network automation. It will give you the solid foundation you need to automate your own network without any hassle. What you will learn *Get started with the fundamental concepts of network automation *Perform intelligent data mining and remediation based on triggers *Understand how AIOps works in operations *Trigger automation through data factors *Improve your data center's robustness and security through data digging *Get access infrastructure through API Framework for chatbot and voice interactive troubleshootings *Set up communication with SSH-based devices using Netmiko Who this book is for If you are a network engineer or a DevOps professional looking for an extensive guide to help you automate and manage your network efficiently, then this book is for you. No prior experience with network automation is required to get started, however you will need some exposure to Python programming to get the most out of this book.

Learn how some Go-specific language features help to simplify building web scrapers along with common pitfalls and best practices regarding web scraping. Key Features * Use Go libraries like Goquery and Colly to scrape the web * Common pitfalls and best practices to effectively scrape and crawl * Learn how to scrape using the Go concurrency model Book Description Web scraping is the process of extracting information from the web using various tools that perform scraping and crawling. Go is emerging as the language of choice for scraping using a variety of libraries. This book will quickly explain to you, how to scrape data data from various websites using Go libraries such as Colly and Goquery. The book starts with an introduction to the use cases of building a web scraper and the main features of the Go programming language, along with setting up a Go environment. It then moves on to HTTP requests and responses and talks about how Go handles them. You will also learn about a number of basic web scraping etiquettes. You will be taught how to navigate through a website, using a breadth-first and then a depth-first search, as well as find and follow links. You will get to know about the ways to track history in order to avoid loops and to protect your web scraper using proxies. Finally the book will cover the Go concurrency model, and how to run scrapers in parallel, along with large-scale distributed web scraping. What you will learn * Implement Cache-Control to avoid unnecessary network calls * Coordinate concurrent scrapers * Design a custom, larger-scale scraping system * Scrape basic HTML pages with Colly and JavaScript pages with chromedp * Discover how to search using the "strings" and "regexp" packages * Set up a Go development environment * Retrieve information from an HTML document * Protect your web scraper from being blocked by using proxies * Control web browsers to scrape JavaScript sites Who this book is for Data scientists, and web developers with a basic knowledge of Golang wanting to collect web data and analyze them for effective reporting and visualization.

Discover the power of functional programming, lazy evaluation, monads, concurrency, and immutability to create succinct and expressive implementations Key Features * Get a solid understanding of how to apply functional programming concepts in TypeScript * Explore TypeScript runtime features such as event loop, closures, and Prototypes * Gain deeper knowledge on the pros and cons of TypeScript Book Description Functional programming is a powerful programming paradigm that can help you to write better code. However, learning functional programming can be complicated, and the existing literature is often too complex for beginners. This book is an approachable introduction to functional programming and reactive programming with TypeScript for readers without previous experience in functional programming with JavaScript, TypeScript , or any other programming language. The book will help you understand the pros, cons, and core principles of functional programming in TypeScript. It will explain higher order functions, referential transparency, functional composition, and monads with the help of effective code examples. Using TypeScript as a functional programming language, you’ll also be able to brush up on your knowledge of applying functional programming techniques, including currying, laziness, and immutability, to real-world scenarios. By the end of this book, you will be confident when it comes to using core functional and reactive programming techniques to help you build effective applications with TypeScript. What you will learn * Understand the pros and cons of functional programming * Delve into the principles, patterns, and best practices of functional and reactive programming * Use lazy evaluation to improve the performance of applications * Explore functional optics with Ramda * Gain insights into category theory functional data structures such as Functors and Monads * Use functions as values, so that they can be passed as arguments to other functions Who this book is for This book is designed for readers with no prior experience of functional programming with JavaScript, TypeScript or any other programming language. Some familiarity with TypeScript and web development is a must to grasp the concepts in the book easily.

Leverage the features and libraries of Python to administrate your environment efficiently. Key Features * Learn how to solve problems of system administrators and automate routine activities * Learn to handle regular expressions, network administration * Building GUI, web-scraping and database administration including data analytics Book Description Python has evolved over time and extended its features in relation to every possible IT operation. Python is simple to learn, yet has powerful libraries that can be used to build powerful Python scripts for solving real-world problems and automating administrators' routine activities. The objective of this book is to walk through a series of projects that will teach readers Python scripting with each project. This book will initially cover Python installation and quickly revise basic to advanced programming fundamentals. The book will then focus on the development process as a whole, from setup to planning to building different tools. It will include IT administrators' routine activities (text processing, regular expressions, file archiving, and encryption), network administration (socket programming, email handling, the remote controlling of devices using telnet/ssh, and protocols such as SNMP/DHCP), building graphical user interface, working with websites (Apache log file processing, SOAP and REST APIs communication, and web scraping), and database administration (MySQL and similar database data administration, data analytics, and reporting). By the end of this book, you will be able to use the latest features of Python and be able to build powerful tools that will solve challenging, real-world tasks What you will learn * Understand how to install Python and debug Python scripts * Understand and write scripts for automating testing and routine administrative activities * Understand how to write scripts for text processing, encryption, decryption, and archiving * Handle files, such as pdf, excel, csv, and txt files, and generate reports * Write scripts for remote network administration, including handling emails * Build interactive tools using a graphical user interface * Handle Apache log files, SOAP and REST APIs communication * Automate database administration and perform statistical analysis Who this book is for This book would be ideal for users with some basic understanding of Python programming and who are interested in scaling their programming skills to command line scripting and system administration. Prior knowledge of Python would be necessary.

Implement machine learning algorithms to build ensemble models using Keras, H2O, Scikit-Learn, Pandas and more Key Features * Apply popular machine learning algorithms using a recipe-based approach * Implement boosting, bagging, and stacking ensemble methods to improve machine learning models * Discover real-world ensemble applications and encounter complex challenges in Kaggle competitions Book Description Ensemble modeling is an approach used to improve the performance of machine learning models. It combines two or more similar or dissimilar machine learning algorithms to deliver superior intellectual powers. This book will help you to implement popular machine learning algorithms to cover different paradigms of ensemble machine learning such as boosting, bagging, and stacking. The Ensemble Machine Learning Cookbook will start by getting you acquainted with the basics of ensemble techniques and exploratory data analysis. You'll then learn to implement tasks related to statistical and machine learning algorithms to understand the ensemble of multiple heterogeneous algorithms. It will also ensure that you don't miss out on key topics, such as like resampling methods. As you progress, you’ll get a better understanding of bagging, boosting, stacking, and working with the Random Forest algorithm using real-world examples. The book will highlight how these ensemble methods use multiple models to improve machine learning results, as compared to a single model. In the concluding chapters, you'll delve into advanced ensemble models using neural networks, natural language processing, and more. You’ll also be able to implement models such as fraud detection, text categorization, and sentiment analysis. By the end of this book, you'll be able to harness ensemble techniques and the working mechanisms of machine learning algorithms to build intelligent models using individual recipes. What you will learn * Understand how to use machine learning algorithms for regression and classification problems * Implement ensemble techniques such as averaging, weighted averaging, and max-voting * Get to grips with advanced ensemble methods, such as bootstrapping, bagging, and stacking * Use Random Forest for tasks such as classification and regression * Implement an ensemble of homogeneous and heterogeneous machine learning algorithms * Learn and implement various boosting techniques, such as AdaBoost, Gradient Boosting Machine, and XGBoost Who this book is for This book is designed for data scientists, machine learning developers, and deep learning enthusiasts who want to delve into machine learning algorithms to build powerful ensemble models. Working knowledge of Python programming and basic statistics is a must to help you grasp the concepts in the book.

Build efficient and fast Qt applications, target performance problems, and discover solutions to refine your code Key Features * Build efficient and concurrent applications in Qt to create cross-platform applications * Identify performance bottlenecks and apply the correct algorithm to improve application performance * Delve into parallel programming and memory management to optimize your code Book Description Achieving efficient code through performance tuning is one of the key challenges faced by many programmers. This book looks at Qt programming from a performance perspective. You'll explore the performance problems encountered when using the Qt framework and means and ways to resolve them and optimize performance. The book highlights performance improvements and new features released in Qt 5.9, Qt 5.11, and 5.12 (LTE). You'll master general computer performance best practices and tools, which can help you identify the reasons behind low performance, and the most common performance pitfalls experienced when using the Qt framework. In the following chapters, you’ll explore multithreading and asynchronous programming with C++ and Qt and learn the importance and efficient use of data structures. You'll also get the opportunity to work through techniques such as memory management and design guidelines, which are essential to improve application performance. Comprehensive sections that cover all these concepts will prepare you for gaining hands-on experience of some of Qt's most exciting application fields - the mobile and embedded development domains. By the end of this book, you'll be ready to build Qt applications that are more efficient, concurrent, and performance-oriented in nature What you will learn * Understand classic performance best practices * Get to grips with modern hardware architecture and its performance impact * Implement tools and procedures used in performance optimization * Grasp Qt-specific work techniques for graphical user interface (GUI) and platform programming * Make Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) performant and use the relevant Qt classes * Discover the improvements Qt 5.9 (and the upcoming versions) holds in store * Explore Qt's graphic engine architecture, strengths, and weaknesses Who this book is for This book is designed for Qt developers who wish to build highly performance applications for desktop and embedded devices. Programming Experience with C++ is required.

Equip yourself with the most complete and comprehensive preparation experience for Identity with Windows Server 2016: Microsoft 70-742 exam. Key Features * Helps you demonstrate real-world mastery of Windows Server 2016 identity features and functionality and prepare for 70-742 * Acquire skills to reduce IT costs and deliver more business value * Enhance your existing skills through practice questions and mock tests Book Description MCSA: Windows Server 2016 certification is one of the most sought-after certifications for IT professionals, which includes working with Windows Server and performing administrative tasks around it. This book is aimed at the 70-742 certification and is part of Packt's three-book series on MCSA Windows Server 2016 certification, which covers Exam 70-740, Exam 70-741, and Exam 70-742. This exam guide covers the exam objectives for the 70-742 Identity with Windows Server 2016 exam. It starts with installing and configuring Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS), managing and maintaining AD DS objects and advanced configurations, configuring Group Policy, Active Directory Certificate Services, and Active Directory Federation Services and Rights Management. At the end of each chapter, convenient test questions will help you in preparing for the certification in a practical manner. By the end of this book, you will be able to develop the knowledge and skills needed to complete MCSA Exam 70-742: Identity with Windows Server 2016 with confidence. What you will learn * Install, configure, and maintain Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) * Manage Active Directory Domain Services objects * Configure and manage Active Directory Certificate Services * Configure and manage Group Policy * Design, implement, and configure Active Directory Federation Services * Implement and configure Active Directory Rights Management Services Who this book is for This book primarily targets system administrators who are looking to gain knowledge about identity and access technologies with Windows Server 2016 and aiming to pass the 70-742 certification. This will also help infrastructure administrators who are looking to gain advanced knowledge and understanding of identity and access technologies with Windows Server 2016. Familiarity with the concepts such as Active Directory, DNS is assumed.

Leverage powerful features of the SQL Server and watch your infrastructure transform into a high-performing, reliable network of systems. Key Features * Explore more than 20 real-world use cases to understand SQL Server features * Get to grips with the SQL Server Always On technology * Learn how to choose HA and DR topologies for your system Book Description Professional SQL Server High Availability and Disaster Recovery explains the high availability and disaster recovery technologies available in SQL Server: Replication, AlwaysOn, and Log Shipping. You’ll learn what they are, how to monitor them, and how to troubleshoot any related problems. You will be introduced to the availability groups of AlwaysOn and learn how to configure them to extend your database mirroring. Through this book, you will be able to explore the technical implementations of high availability and disaster recovery technologies that you can use when you create a highly available infrastructure, including hybrid topologies. By the end of the book, you’ll be equipped with all that you need to know to develop robust and high performance infrastructure. What you will learn * Configure and troubleshoot Replication, AlwaysOn, and Log Shipping * Study the best practices to implement HA and DR solutions * Design HA and DR topologies for the SQL Server and study how to choose a topology for your environment * Use T-SQL to configure replication, AlwaysOn, and log shipping * Migrate from On-Premise SQL Server to Azure SQL Database * Manage and maintain AlwaysOn availability groups for extended database mirroring Who this book is for Professional SQL Server High Availability and Disaster Recovery is for you if you are a database administrator or database developer who wants to improve the performance of your production environment. Prior experience of working with SQL Server will help you get the most out of this book.

Create advanced data and integrated solutions using Azure Event Grid, functions, and containers Key Features * Get familiar with the different design patterns available in Microsoft Azure * Develop Azure cloud architecture and a pipeline management system * Get to know the security best practices for your Azure deployment Book Description Over the years, Azure cloud services have grown quickly, and the number of organizations adopting Azure for their cloud services is also gradually increasing. Leading industry giants are finding that Azure fulfills their extensive cloud requirements. Azure for Architects – Second Edition starts with an extensive introduction to major designing and architectural aspects available with Azure. These design patterns focus on different aspects of the cloud, such as high availability, security, and scalability. Gradually, we move on to other aspects, such as ARM template modular design and deployments. This is the age of microservices and serverless is the preferred implementation mechanism for them. This book covers the entire serverless stack available in Azure including Azure Event Grid, Azure Functions, and Azure Logic Apps. New and advance features like durable functions are discussed at length. A complete integration solution using these serverless technologies is also part of the book. A complete chapter discusses all possible options related to containers in Azure including Azure Kubernetes services, Azure Container Instances and Registry, and Web App for Containers. Data management and integration is an integral part of this book that discusses options for implementing OLTP solutions using Azure SQL, Big Data solutions using Azure Data factory and Data Lake Storage, eventing solutions using stream analytics, and Event Hubs. This book will provide insights into Azure governance features such as tagging, RBAC, cost management, and policies. By the end of this book, you will be able to develop a full-?edged Azure cloud solution that is Enterprise class and future-ready. What you will learn * Create an end-to-end integration solution using Azure Serverless Stack * Learn Big Data solutions and OLTP–based applications on Azure * Understand DevOps implementations using Azure DevOps * Architect solutions comprised of multiple resources in Azure * Develop modular ARM templates * Develop Governance on Azure using locks, RBAC, policies, tags and cost * Learn ways to build data solutions on Azure * Understand the various options related to containers including Azure Kubernetes Services Who this book is for If you are Cloud Architects, DevOps Engineers, or developers who want to learn key architectural aspects of the Azure Cloud platform, then this book is for you. Prior basic knowledge of the Azure Cloud platform is good to have.

Design, develop, and deploy innovative forensic solutions using Python Key Features * Discover how to develop Python scripts for effective digital forensic analysis * Master the skills of parsing complex data structures with Python libraries * Solve forensic challenges through the development of practical Python scripts Book Description Digital forensics plays an integral role in solving complex cybercrimes and helping organizations make sense of cybersecurity incidents. This second edition of Learning Python for Forensics illustrates how Python can be used to support these digital investigations and permits the examiner to automate the parsing of forensic artifacts to spend more time examining actionable data. The second edition of Learning Python for Forensics will illustrate how to develop Python scripts using an iterative design. Further, it demonstrates how to leverage the various built-in and community-sourced forensics scripts and libraries available for Python today. This book will help strengthen your analysis skills and efficiency as you creatively solve real-world problems through instruction-based tutorials. By the end of this book, you will build a collection of Python scripts capable of investigating an array of forensic artifacts and master the skills of extracting metadata and parsing complex data structures into actionable reports. Most importantly, you will have developed a foundation upon which to build as you continue to learn Python and enhance your efficacy as an investigator. What you will learn * Learn how to develop Python scripts to solve complex forensic problems * Build scripts using an iterative design * Design code to accommodate present and future hurdles * Leverage built-in and community-sourced libraries * Understand the best practices in forensic programming * Learn how to transform raw data into customized reports and visualizations * Create forensic frameworks to automate analysis of multiple forensic artifacts * Conduct effective and efficient investigations through programmatic processing Who this book is for If you are a forensics student, hobbyist, or professional seeking to increase your understanding in forensics through the use of a programming language, then Learning Python for Forensics is for you. You are not required to have previous experience in programming to learn and master the content within this book. This material, created by forensic professionals, was written with a unique perspective and understanding for examiners who wish to learn programming.