This book is a practical, handson guide that provides the reader with a number of clear, stepbystep bitesize recipes. If you are a developer and want to learn about integrating Twilio's API into your websites for telephone solutions, then this book is for you. Basic knowledge of PHP and MySQL is expected.

A standard practical tutorial running people through Windows 8 RT with a specific focus on game development is the approach chosen here. This type of approach will more likely appeal to an audience that is in need of a structured guide that they can emulate and learn from, unlike the usual reference text available in the market.Learning Windows 8 Game Development is for any developer looking to branch out and make some games. It’s assumed that you will have an understanding of C++ and programming. If you want to program a game, this book is for you, as it will provide a great overview of Direct3D and Windows 8 game development and will kick-start your journey into 3D development.

An easytouse guide, full of handson recipes for manipulating spatial data in a PostGIS database. Each topic is explained and placed in context, and for the more inquisitive, there are more details of the concepts used. If you are a web developer or a software architect, especially in locationbased companies, and want to expand the range of techniques you are using with PostGIS, then this book is for you. You should have some prior experience with PostgreSQL database and spatial concepts.

Each chapter of the book quickly introduces a key ‘theme’ of Data Analysis, before immersing you in the practical aspects of each theme. You’ll learn quickly how to perform all aspects of Data Analysis.Practical Data Analysis is a book ideal for home and small business users who want to slice & dice the data they have on hand with minimum hassle.

This book follows a Cookbook style and is packed with intermediate and advanced level recipes.This book is for Java developers who have an interest in discovering new ways to quickly get the job done using a new language that shares many similarities with Java. The book’s recipes start simple, therefore no previous Groovy experience is required to understand the code and the explanations accompanying the examples.

This book uses the learning-by-example approach. It takes simple examples from games to introduce all the main concepts of programming in an easy-to-digest and immediately recognizable way.This book is for the total beginner to any type of programming, focusing on the writing of C# code and *s only. There are many parts that make up the Unity game engine. It is assumed that the reader already knows their way around Unity's user interface. The code editor used in this book is the MonoDevelop editor supplied by Unity.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Reporting Cookbook is full of practical recipes for creating and managing reports as well as identifying the most appropriate reporting tool for any reporting challenge. In addition, you will learn about universal topics such as how to locate data for any given report. Although some of the reporting tools addressed in this book are exclusive to Dynamics AX 2012, many of the topics discussed also apply to older versions of AX. This book is packed with illustrations and real-time examples that are presented in a task-oriented Cookbook structure. Real-time tips and tricks make the book very interactive and informative at the same time."Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Reporting Cookbook" is recommended for Dynamics AX developers and .NET-based SSRS developers looking to familiarize themselves with the AX reporting framework. A basic understanding of Morphx and X++ is assumed but the step-by-step instructions make it easy even for a beginner. Some examples use C# and VB.NET, so experience with Visual Studio is a plus, but not a must.

MakerBot Projects Blueprints is a project-based book, with each chapter taking you through the creation of an awesome stand-alone project. MakerBot Project Blueprints is for anyone with an interest in the 3D printing revolution and the slightest bit of computer skills. Whether you own a 3D printer or not you can design for them. All it takes is Blender, a free 3D modeling tool, this book and a little creativity and someday you’ll be able to hold something you designed in the computer in your hands.

A step-by-step guide that enables you to quickly implement a DSL with Xtext and Xtend in a test-driven way with the aid of simplified examples.This book is for programmers who want to learn about Xtext and how to use it to implement a DSL (or a programming language) together with Eclipse IDE tooling. It assumes that the user is familiar with Eclipse and its functionality. Existing basic knowledge of a compiler implementation would be useful, though not strictly required, since the book will explain all the stages of the development of a DSL.

This is a Cookbook with easy-to-follow recipes, containing practical and detailed examples which are all fully backed up with code, illustrations, and tips to dig deep into Backbone.js.This book is great for JavaScript developers who want to learn how to build advanced frontend applications with the Backbone.js framework. This book can be used in educational institutions to teach students how to build frontend applications in an MVC manner.It's assumed that you have some experience in jQuery, and are familiar with HTML.

You will first be introduced to object-oriented programming, then to the basics of objects in JavaScript. This book takes a do-it-yourself approach when it comes to writing code, because the best way to really learn a programming language is by writing code. You are encouraged to type code into Firebug's console, see how it works and then tweak it and play around with it. There are practice questions at the end of each chapter to help you review what you have learned.For new to intermediate JavaScript developer who wants to prepare themselves for web development problems solved by smart JavaScript!

Filled with a practical collection of recipes, jQuery UI Cookbook is full of clear, step-by-step instructions that will help you harness the powerful UI framework in jQuery. Depending on your needs, you can dip in and out of the Cookbook and its recipes, or follow the book from start to finish.If you are a jQuery UI developer looking to improve your existing applications, extract ideas for your new application, or to better understand the overall widget architecture, then jQuery UI Cookbook is a must-have for you. The reader should at least have a rudimentary understanding of what jQuery UI is, and have written some code that uses jQuery UI.

Exploit the features of TypeScript to easily create your very own web applications About This Book ? Develop modular, scalable, maintainable, and adaptable web applications by taking advantage of TypeScript ? Walk through the fundamentals of TypeScript with the help of practical examples ? Enhance your web development skills using TypeScript 2.x Who This Book Is For If you are a developer aiming to learn TypeScript to build attractive web applications, this book is for you. No prior knowledge of TypeScript is required. However, a basic understanding of JavaScript would be an added advantage. What You Will Learn ? Understand TypeScript in depth, including its runtime and advanced type system features ? Master the core principles of the object-oriented programming and functional programming paradigms with TypeScript ? Save time using automation tools such as Gulp, Webpack, ts-node, and npm scripts ? Develop robust, modular, scalable, maintainable, and adaptable applications with testing frameworks such as Mocha, Chai, and Sinon.JS ? Put your TypeScript skills to practice by developing full-stack web applications with Node.js, React and Angular ? Use the APIs of the TypeScript compiler to build custom code analysis tool In Detail TypeScript is an open source and cross-platform statically typed superset of JavaScript that compiles to plain JavaScript and runs in any browser or host. This book is a step-by-step guide that will take you through the use and benefits of TypeScript with the help of practical examples. You will start off by understanding the basics as well as the new features of TypeScript 2.x. Then, you will learn how to work with functions and asynchronous programming APIs. You will continue by learning how to resolve runtime issues and how to implement TypeScript applications using the Object-oriented programming (OOP) and functional programming (FP) paradigms. Later, you will automate your development workflow with the help of tools such as Webpack. Towards the end of this book, you will delve into some real-world scenarios by implementing some full-stack TypeScript applications with Node.js, React and Angular as well as how to optimize and test them. Finally, you will be introduced to the internal APIs of the TypeScript compiler, and you will learn how to create custom code analysis tools. Style and approach This is a step-by-step guide that covers the fundamentals of TypeScript with practical examples.

A complete guide on using data structures and algorithms to write sophisticated C# code About This Book ? Master array, set and map with trees and graphs, among other fundamental data structures ? Delve into effective design and implementation techniques to meet your software requirements ? Explore illustrations to present data structures and algorithms, as well as their analysis in a clear, visual manner. Who This Book Is For This book is for developers who would like to learn the Data Structures and Algorithms in C#. Basic C# programming knowledge would be an added advantage. What You Will Learn ? How to use arrays and lists to get better results in complex scenarios ? Implement algorithms like the Tower of Hanoi on stacks of C# objects ? Build enhanced applications by using hashtables, dictionaries and sets ? Make a positive impact on efficiency of applications with tree traversal ? Effectively find the shortest path in the graph In Detail Data structures allow organizing data efficiently. They are critical to various problems and their suitable implementation can provide a complete solution that acts like reusable code. In this book, you will learn how to use various data structures while developing in the C# language as well as how to implement some of the most common algorithms used with such data structures. At the beginning, you will get to know arrays, lists, dictionaries, and sets together with real-world examples of your application. Then, you will learn how to create and use stacks and queues. In the following part of the book, the more complex data structures will be introduced, namely trees and graphs, together with some algorithms for searching the shortest path in a graph. We will also discuss how to organize the code in a manageable, consistent, and extendable way. By the end of the book,you will learn how to build components that are easy to understand, debug, and use in different applications. Style and approach Readers will be taken through all the indispensable data structures and algorithms so they can begin their coding journey in C#. At each step, the book will show how to implement these via examples while also discussing the attributes of each algorithm so readers are capable to make an informed choice.

Leverage the power of the Reinforcement Learning techniques to develop self-learning systems using Tensorflow About This Book ? Learn reinforcement learning concepts and their implementation using TensorFlow ? Discover different problem-solving methods for Reinforcement Learning ? Apply reinforcement learning for autonomous driving cars, robobrokers, and more Who This Book Is For If you want to get started with reinforcement learning using TensorFlow in the most practical way, this book will be a useful resource. The book assumes prior knowledge of machine learning and neural network programming concepts, as well as some understanding of the TensorFlow framework. No previous experience with Reinforcement Learning is required. What You Will Learn ? Implement state-of-the-art Reinforcement Learning algorithms from the basics ? Discover various techniques of Reinforcement Learning such as MDP, Q Learning and more ? Learn the applications of Reinforcement Learning in advertisement, image processing, and NLP ? Teach a Reinforcement Learning model to play a game using TensorFlow and the OpenAI gym ? Understand how Reinforcement Learning Applications are used in robotics In Detail Reinforcement Learning (RL), allows you to develop smart, quick and self-learning systems in your business surroundings. It is an effective method to train your learning agents and solve a variety of problems in Artificial Intelligence—from games, self-driving cars and robots to enterprise applications that range from datacenter energy saving (cooling data centers) to smart warehousing solutions. The book covers the major advancements and successes achieved in deep reinforcement learning by synergizing deep neural network architectures with reinforcement learning. The book also introduces readers to the concept of Reinforcement Learning, its advantages and why it’s gaining so much popularity. The book also discusses on MDPs, Monte Carlo tree searches, dynamic programming such as policy and value iteration, temporal difference learning such as Q-learning and SARSA. You will use TensorFlow and OpenAI Gym to build simple neural network models that learn from their own actions. You will also see how reinforcement learning algorithms play a role in games, image processing and NLP. By the end of this book, you will have a firm understanding of what reinforcement learning is and how to put your knowledge to practical use by leveraging the power of TensorFlow and OpenAI Gym. Style and approach An Easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide to help you get to grips with real-world applications of Reinforcement Learning with TensorFlow.

A complete guide to designing and building fun games with Qt and Qt Quick using associated toolsets About This Book ? A step by step guide to learn Qt by building simple yet entertaining games ? Get acquainted with a small yet powerful addition—Qt Gamepad Module, that enables Qt applications to support the use of gamepad hardware ? Understand technologies such as QML, OpenGL, and Qt Creator to design intuitive games Who This Book Is For If you want to create great graphical user interfaces and astonishing games with Qt, this book is ideal for you. No previous knowledge of Qt is required; however knowledge of C++ is mandatory. What You Will Learn ? Install the latest version of Qt on your system ? Understand the basic concepts of every Qt game and application ? Develop 2D object-oriented graphics using Qt Graphics View ? Build multiplayer games or add a chat function to your games with Qt Network module ? Script your game with Qt QML ? Explore the Qt Gamepad module in order to integrate gamepad support in C++ and QML applications ? Program resolution-independent and fluid UIs using QML and Qt Quick ? Control your game flow in line with mobile device sensors ? Test and debug your game easily with Qt Creator and Qt Test In Detail Qt is the leading cross-platform toolkit for all significant desktop, mobile, and embedded platforms and is becoming popular by the day, especially on mobile and embedded devices. It's a powerful tool that perfectly fits the needs of game developers. This book will help you learn the basics of Qt and will equip you with the necessary toolsets to build apps and games. The book begins by how to create an application and prepare a working environment for both desktop and mobile platforms. You will learn how to use built-in Qt widgets and Form Editor to create a GUI application and then learn the basics of creating graphical interfaces and Qt's core concepts. Further, you'll learn to enrich your games by implementing network connectivity and employing scripting. You will learn about Qt's capabilities for handling strings and files, data storage, and serialization. Moving on, you will learn about the new Qt Gamepad module and how to add it in your game and then delve into OpenGL and Vulcan, and how it can be used in Qt applications to implement hardware-accelerated 2D and 3D graphics. You will then explore various facets of Qt Quick: how it can be used in games to add game logic, add game physics, and build astonishing UIs for your games. By the end of this book, you will have developed the skillset to develop interesting games with Qt. Style and approach Learn Qt with the help of numerous sample games, introduced step-by-step in each chapter

Install and configure a pfSense router/firewall, and become a pfSense expert in the process. About This Book ? You can always do more to secure your software – so extend and customize your pfSense firewall ? Build a high availability security system that’s fault-tolerant – and capable of blocking potential threats ? Put the principles of better security into practice by implementing examples provided in the text Who This Book Is For This book is for those with at least an intermediate understanding of networking. Prior knowledge of pfSense would be helpful but is not required. Those who have the resources to set up a pfSense firewall, either in a real or virtual environment, will especially benefit, as they will be able to follow along with the examples in the book. What You Will Learn ? Configure pfSense services such as DHCP, Dynamic DNS, captive portal, DNS, NTP and SNMP ? Set up a managed switch to work with VLANs ? Use pfSense to allow, block and deny traffic, and to implement Network Address Translation (NAT) ? Make use of the traffic shaper to lower and raise the priority of certain types of traffic ? Set up and connect to a VPN tunnel with pfSense ? Incorporate redundancy and high availability by utilizing load balancing and the Common Address Redundancy Protocol (CARP) ? Explore diagnostic tools in pfSense to solve network problems In Detail pfSense has the same reliability and stability as even the most popular commercial firewall offerings on the market – but, like the very best open-source software, it doesn’t limit you. You’re in control – you can exploit and customize pfSense around your security needs. Mastering pfSense - Second Edition, covers features that have long been part of pfSense such as captive portal, VLANs, traffic shaping, VPNs, load balancing, Common Address Redundancy Protocol (CARP), multi-WAN, and routing. It also covers features that have been added with the release of 2.4, such as support for ZFS partitions and OpenVPN 2.4. This book takes into account the fact that, in order to support increased cryptographic loads, pfSense version 2.5 will require a CPU that supports AES-NI. The second edition of this book places more of an emphasis on the practical side of utilizing pfSense than the previous edition, and, as a result, more examples are provided which show in step-by-step fashion how to implement many features. Style and approach Practical guide to learn the advanced functionalities of pfSense with minimum fuss.

A comprehensive end-to-end guide that gives hands-on practice in big data and Artificial Intelligence About This Book ? Learn to build and run a big data application with sample code ? Explore examples to implement activities that a big data architect performs ? Use Machine Learning and AI for structured and unstructured data Who This Book Is For Big Data Architect’s Handbook is for you if you are an aspiring data professional, developer, or IT enthusiast who aims to be an all-round architect in big data. This book is your one-stop solution to enhance your knowledge and carry out easy to complex activities required to become a big data architect. What You Will Learn ? Learn Hadoop Ecosystem and Apache projects ? Understand, compare NoSQL database and essential software architecture ? Cloud infrastructure design considerations for big data ? Explore application scenario of big data tools for daily activities ? Learn to analyze and visualize results to uncover valuable insights ? Build and run a big data application with sample code from end to end ? Apply Machine Learning and AI to perform big data intelligence ? Practice the daily activities performed by big data architects In Detail The big data architects are the “masters” of data, and hold high value in today’s market. Handling big data, be it of good or bad quality, is not an easy task. The prime job for any big data architect is to build an end-to-end big data solution that integrates data from different sources and analyzes it to find useful, hidden insights. Big Data Architect’s Handbook takes you through developing a complete, end-to-end big data pipeline, which will lay the foundation for you and provide the necessary knowledge required to be an architect in big data. Right from understanding the design considerations to implementing a solid, efficient, and scalable data pipeline, this book walks you through all the essential aspects of big data. It also gives you an overview of how you can leverage the power of various big data tools such as Apache Hadoop and ElasticSearch in order to bring them together and build an efficient big data solution. By the end of this book, you will be able to build your own design system which integrates, maintains, visualizes, and monitors your data. In addition, you will have a smooth design flow in each process, putting insights in action. Style and approach Comprehensive guide with a perfect blend of theory, examples and implementation of real-world use-cases

Design and build scalable web applications using Backbone.jsAbout This BookLevel up your Backbone.js skills and create professional web applications with the best practicesUse the Backbone.js components in the right way and avoid maintenance nightmaresImprove your development workflow from application design to deploymentApply the best practices given in this tutorial to solve day-to-day problems in your applicationsWho This Book Is ForThis book is for those developers who know the basic concepts of Backbone.js and want to build scalable applications with it. If you are looking for the best practices of using Backbone.js applied to real work applications, this book is for you. You will be able to apply architectural principles to create amazing web applications easily.What You Will LearnBuild web applications that scale with Backbone.jsDesign a powerful architecture that eliminates maintenance nightmaresUse common patterns and best practices in Backbone.js web applications developmentsPack your applications to be deployed to production environmentsClean up your code organization to a simple and maintainable architectureTest your components and get confidence with your codeDeal with common scenarios like file uploading and login issuesIn DetailBackbone.js is a popular library to build single page applications used by many start-ups around the world because of its flexibility, robustness and simplicity. It allows you to bring your own tools and libraries to make amazing webapps with your own rules. However, due to its flexibility it is not always easy to create scalable applications with it. By learning the best practices and project organization you will be able to create maintainable and scalable web applications with Backbone.js.With this book you will start right from organizing your Backbone.js application to learn where to put each module and how to wire them. From organizing your code in a logical and physical way, you will go on to delimit view responsibilities and work with complex layouts.Synchronizing models in a two-way binding can be difficult and with sub resources attached it can be even worse. The next chapter will explain strategies for how to deal with these models. The following chapters will help you to manage module dependencies on your projects, explore strategies to upload files to a RESTful API and store information directly in the browser for using it with Backbone.js. After testing your application, you are ready to deploy it to your production environment. The final chapter will cover different flavors of authorization.The Backbone.js library can be difficult to master, but in this book you will get the necessary skill set to create applications with it, and you will be able to use any other library you want in your stack.Style and approachThis book takes a tutorial approach to help you scale your Backbone.js applications. It builds a web application using the best practices and applies architectural design principles to develop maintainable web-apps. Each chapter explains the design decisions and improves the project that is used as an example alongside the book.

Over 70 practical recipes to help you create scalable websites using the Django 1.8 frameworkAbout This BookThis is the latest book on the market that will help you take advantage of the new features added to Django 1.8This book consists of recipes of varying complexities to help you create multilingual, responsive, and scalable websites with DjangoThis updated edition teaches you major Django functions and will help you improve your skills by developing models, forms, views, and templatesWho This Book Is ForThis book is for intermediate-level and professional Django users who need to build projects that are multilingual, functional on devices of different screen sizes, and that scale over a period of time. If you have created websites with Django but you want to sharpen your knowledge and learn some good approaches to different aspects of web development, you should definitely read this book.What You Will LearnGet started with the basic configuration necessary to start any Django projectBuild a database structure out of reusable model mixinsManage forms and views and get to know some useful patterns that are used to create themCreate handy template filters and tags that you can reuse in every projectIntegrate your own functionality into the Django CMSManage hierarchical structures with MPTTImport data from local sources and external web services as well as exporting your data to third partiesImplement a multilingual search with HaystackTest and deploy your project efficientlyIn DetailDjango is a web framework that was designed to strike a balance between rapid web development and high performance. It has the capacity to handle applications with high levels of user traffic and interaction, and can integrate with massive databases on the backend, constantly collecting and processing data in real time.Through this book, you'll discover that collecting data from different sources and providing it to others in different formats isn't as difficult as you thought. It follows a task-based approach to guide you through all the web development processes using the Django framework. We’ll start by setting up the virtual environment for a Django project and configuring it. Then you’ll learn to write reusable pieces of code for your models and find out how to manage database schema changes using South migrations. After that, we’ll take you through working with forms and views to enter and list data. With practical examples on using templates and JavaScript together, you will discover how to create the best user experience. In the final chapters, you'll be introduced to some programming and debugging tricks and finally, you will be shown how to test and deploy the project to a remote dedicated server.By the end of this book, you will have a good understanding of the new features added to Django 1.8 and be an expert at web development processes.Style and approachEvery chapter consists of practical examples and a mix of basic and advanced recipes that will guide you through the entire web development process, starting from project configuration and taking you right through to deployment.

Get to grips with building the foundations of an RPG using Unreal Engine 4About This BookUtilize a mixture of C++, Blueprints, and UMG to create a role playing game (RPG) efficientlyCreate reusable code chunks and elements that can easily be integrated into other gamesA cost effective, step-by-step guide to building and customizing an entire framework for your RPGWho This Book Is ForIf you are new to Unreal Engine and always wanted to * an RPG, you are this book’s target reader. The lessons assume you understand the conventions of RPG games and have some awareness of the basics of using the Unreal editor to build level.What You Will LearnProgram gameplay elements in C++ in UnrealCreate custom game data for entities such as players and enemiesCreate a turn-based combat engineDesign menu systems and blueprint logicCreate an NPC and dialog systemIntegrate equipment and itemsDevelop the foundations of a saving and loading systemIn DetailNow that Unreal Engine 4 has become one of the most cutting edge game engines in the world, developers are looking for the best ways of creating games of any genre in the engine. This book will lay out the foundation of creating a turn-based RPG in Unreal Engine 4.The book starts by walking you through creating a turn-based battle system that can hold commands for party members and enemies. You’ll get your hands dirty by creating NPCs such as shop owners, and important mechanics, that make up every RPG such as a currency system, inventory, dialogue, and character statistics. Although this book specifically focuses on the creation of a turn-based RPG, there are a variety of topics that can be utilized when creating many other types of genres.By the end of the book, you will be able to build upon core RPG framework elements to create your own game experience.Style and approachYou will follow a series of lessons detailing the elements that contribute to an RPG. By the end of the book, you will have considerably leveled up your ability to make your own game