Learn the fundamentals of Cython to extend the legacy of your applicationsAbout This BookLearn how to extend C applications with pure Python codeGet more from Python – you’ll not only learn Cython, you’ll also unlock a greater understanding of how to harness PythonPacked with tips and tricks that make Cython look easy, dive into this accessible programming guide and find out what happens when you bring C and Python together!Who This Book Is ForThis book is for developers who are familiar with the basics of C and Python programming and wish to learn Cython programming to extend their applications.What You Will LearnReuse Python logging in CMake an IRC bot out of your C applicationExtend an application so you have a web server for rest callsPractice Cython against your C++ codeDiscover tricks to work with Python ConfigParser in CCreate Python bindings for native librariesFind out about threading and concurrency related to GILExpand Terminal Multiplexer Tmux with CythonIn DetailCython is a hybrid programming language used to write C extensions for Python language. Combining the practicality of Python and speed and ease of the C language it’s an exciting language worth learning if you want to build fast applications with ease.This new edition of Learning Cython Programming shows you how to get started, taking you through the fundamentals so you can begin to experience its unique powers.You’ll find out how to get set up, before exploring the relationship between Python and Cython. You’ll also look at debugging Cython, before moving on to C++ constructs, Caveat on C++ usage, Python threading and GIL in Cython. Finally, you’ll learn object initialization and compile time, and gain a deeper insight into Python 3, which will help you not only become a confident Cython developer, but a much more fluent Python developer too.Style and approachThis practical and a fast-paced guide gives you all the information you need to start programming using Cython.

Master Puppet for configuration management of your systems in an enterprise deploymentAbout This BookThis book is an advanced guide to using and deploying Puppet 4 in your organization with a special focus on issues faced in larger enterprise deploymentsFrom an experienced author, learn to deal with scaling, performance, and multiple developers with the help of real-world examplesThis is the most up-to-date guide on Puppet, and covers the advanced concepts of Puppet 4Who This Book Is ForThis book is for those who have intermediate knowledge of Puppet and are looking to deploy it in their environment. Some idea how to write simple modules for configuration management with Puppet is a prerequisite for this book.What You Will LearnScale out your Puppet infrastructure using proxying techniquesAutomate your code promotion workflow using Git and r10kSolve real-world problems using public modules from the Puppet ForgeUse Hiera to separate the data of your configuration from the code of your configurationWrite your own custom facts in RubyExtend Puppet with your own custom facts, modules, and typesUse exported resources to orchestrate change between machinesDebug a puppetserver using Java techniquesIn DetailPuppet is a configuration management system and a language. It was written for and by system administrators to manage large numbers of systems efficiently and prevent configuration drifts.Mastering Puppet deals with the issues faced when scaling out Puppet to handle large numbers of nodes. It will show you how to fit Puppet into your enterprise and allow many developers to work on your Puppet code simultaneously. In addition, you will learn to write custom facts and roll your own modules to solve problems. Next, popular options for performing reporting and orchestration tasks will be introduced in this book. Moving over to troubleshooting techniques, which will be very useful. The concepts presented are useful to any size organization.By the end of the book, you will know how to deal with problems of scale and exceptions in your code, automate workflows, and support multiple developers working simultaneously.Style and approachThis book is a step-wise guide packed with examples to help you configure complex systems in Puppet.

Master the basics of Unreal Engine 4 to build stunning video gamesAbout This BookGet to grips with the user interface of Unreal Engine 4 and find out more about its various robust featuresCreate dream video games with the help of the different tools Unreal Engine 4 offersCreate video-games and fully utilize the power of Unreal Engine 4 to bring games to life through this step-by-step guideWho This Book Is ForIf you have a basic understanding of working on a 3D environment and you are interested in video game development, then this book is for you. A solid knowledge of C++ will come in handy.What You Will LearnDownload both the binary and source version of Unreal Engine 4 and get familiar with the UIGet to know more about the Material Editor and how it worksAdd a post process to the scene and alter it to get a unique look for your sceneAcquaint yourself with the unique and exclusive feature of Unreal Engine 4—BlueprintsFind out more about Static and Dynamic lighting and the difference between various lightsUse Matinee to create cut scenesCreate a health bar for the player with the use of Unreal Motion Graphics (UMG)Get familiar with Cascade Particle EditorIn DetailUnreal Engine 4 is a complete suite of game development tools that gives you power to develop your game and seamlessly deploy it to iOS and Android devices. It can be used for the development of simple 2D games or even stunning high-end visuals. Unreal Engine features a high degree of portability and is a tool used by many game developers today.This book will introduce you to the very popular Unreal 4 engine with hands-on instructions to build stunning video games. You will begin by creating a new project or prototype by learning the essentials of Unreal engine, then you’ll get an understanding of how the World Browser can help to improve performance of our game. Next, we’ll create a level of detailed models and materials to further improve performance. After that, you’ll see how to import textures, create different materials, and see what materials can do in terms of post-processing. Finally, you will get acquainted with the Paper2D tool and the blueprints system to further increase our project's performance with Engine’s scalability tools.Style and approachThis step-by-step guide will help you gain practical knowledge about Unreal Engine through detailed de*ions of all the tools offered by Unreal Engine.

Design, process, and analyze large sets of complex data in real timeAbout This BookGet acquainted with transformations and database-level interactions, and ensure the reliability of messages processed using StormImplement strategies to solve the challenges of real-time data processingLoad datasets, build queries, and make recommendations using Spark SQLWho This Book Is ForIf you are a Big Data architect, developer, or a programmer who wants to develop applications/frameworks to implement real-time analytics using open source technologies, then this book is for you.What You Will LearnExplore big data technologies and frameworksWork through practical challenges and use cases of real-time analytics versus batch analyticsDevelop real-word use cases for processing and analyzing data in real-time using the programming paradigm of Apache StormHandle and process real-time transactional dataOptimize and tune Apache Storm for varied workloads and production deploymentsProcess and stream data with Amazon Kinesis and Elastic MapReducePerform interactive and exploratory data analytics using Spark SQLDevelop common enterprise architectures/applications for real-time and batch analyticsIn DetailEnterprise has been striving hard to deal with the challenges of data arriving in real time or near real time.Although there are technologies such as Storm and Spark (and many more) that solve the challenges of real-time data, using the appropriate technology/framework for the right business use case is the key to success. This book provides you with the skills required to quickly design, implement and deploy your real-time analytics using real-world examples of big data use cases.From the beginning of the book, we will cover the basics of varied real-time data processing frameworks and technologies. We will discuss and explain the differences between batch and real-time processing in detail, and will also explore the techniques and programming concepts using Apache Storm.Moving on, we’ll familiarize you with “Amazon Kinesis” for real-time data processing on cloud. We will further develop your understanding of real-time analytics through a comprehensive review of Apache Spark along with the high-level architecture and the building blocks of a Spark program.You will learn how to transform your data, get an output from transformations, and persist your results using Spark RDDs, using an interface called Spark SQL to work with Spark.At the end of this book, we will introduce Spark Streaming, the streaming library of Spark, and will walk you through the emerging Lambda Architecture (LA), which provides a hybrid platform for big data processing by combining real-time and precomputed batch data to provide a near real-time view of incoming data.Style and approachThis step-by-step is an easy-to-follow, detailed tutorial, filled with practical examples of basic and advanced features.Each topic is explained sequentially and supported by real-world examples and executable code snippets.

Over 90 hands-on recipes that will employ Nagios Core as the anchor of monitoring on your networkAbout This BookMaster the advanced configuration techniques of Nagios Core to model your network better by improving hosts, services, and contactsFilter and improve the notifications that Nagios Core sends in response to failed checks, which can greatly assist you when diagnosing problemsPull Nagios Core's data into a database to write clever custom reports of your own deviseWho This Book Is ForIf you are a network or system administrator and are looking for instructions and examples on working with Nagios Core, then this book is for you. Some basic shell command-line experience is required, and some knowledge of *ing would be helpful when we discuss how plugins work.What You Will LearnManage the configuration of Nagios Core with advanced techniques to achieve fine detail in your checksFind, install, and even write your own check pluginsFilter notifications to send them to the right people or programs at the right timeWork around difficult network accessibility issues and delegate checks to other machinesTweak a Nagios Core server to achieve both high performance and redundancy in case of disasterProcess the results of checks performed by other machines to monitor backups and similar processesExtend Nagios Core to allow advanced *ing, reporting, and network visualization behaviorIn DetailNagios Core is an open source monitoring framework suitable for any network that ensures both internal and customer-facing services are running correctly and manages notification and reporting behavior to diagnose and fix outages promptly. It allows very fine configuration of exactly when, where, what, and how to check network services to meet both the uptime goals of your network and systems team and the needs of your users.This book shows system and network administrators how to use Nagios Core to its fullest as a monitoring framework for checks on any kind of network services, from the smallest home network to much larger production multi-site services. You will discover that Nagios Core is capable of doing much more than pinging a host or to see whether websites respond.The recipes in this book will demonstrate how to leverage Nagios Core's advanced configuration, *ing hooks, reports, data retrieval, and extensibility to integrate it with your existing systems, and to make it the rock-solid center of your network monitoring world.Style and approachEach chapter contains a set of step-by-step recipes to perform an example of a commonly performed task related to network administration. The book begins by focusing closely on the properties and configuration of Nagios Core itself, and gradually moves on to other pieces of software that can support, manage, and extend the system.

An administrator’s guide to configuring, securing, customizing, and extending MoodleAbout This BookLearn how to plan, install, optimize, customize, and configure MoodleGuarantee a cutting-edge learning experience in a secure and customizable environment while optimizing your day-to-day workloadA one-stop guide with a problem-solution approach and a wide range of real-world examplesWho This Book Is ForIf you are a technician, systems administrator, or part of academic staff, this is the book for you. This book is ideal for anyone who has to administer a Moodle system. Whether you are dealing with a small-scale local Moodle system or a large-scale multi-site Virtual Learning Environment, this book will assist you with any administrative task. Some basic Moodle knowledge is helpful, but not essential.What You Will LearnInstall and update Moodle on multiple platforms manually and via CLI and GITManage courses and categories, users and cohorts, as well as rolesGet Moodle hooked up to repositories, portfolios, and open badgesConfigure Moodle for mobile usage, accessibility, localization, communication, and collaborationGuarantee backups, security and privacy, and achieve maximum performance via the Moodle Universal Cache and the new cron systemConfigure the Moodle events system to generate comprehensive reports, statistics, and learning analyticsNetwork Moodle with Mahara and extend it with third-party add-ons and via LTICustomize Moodle web services to enable mobile learning and integration with other IT systemsIn DetailMoodle is the de facto standard for open source learning platforms. However, setting up and managing a learning environment can be a complex task since it covers a wide range of technical, organizational, and pedagogical topics. This ranges from basic user and course management, to configuring plugins and design elements, all the way to system settings, performance optimization, events frameworks, and so on.This book concentrates on basic tasks such as how to set up and configure Moodle and how to perform day-to-day administration activities, and progresses on to more advanced topics that show you how to customize and extend Moodle, manage courses, cohorts, and users, and how to work with roles and capabilities. You’ll learn to configure Moodle plugins and ensure your VLE conforms to pedagogical and technical requirements in your organization. You’ll then learn how to integrate the VLE via web services and network it with other sites, including Mahara, and extend your system via plugins and LTI. By the end of this book, you will be able to set up an efficient, fully fledged, and secure Moodle system.Style and approachThe book takes a problem-solution approach to fall in line with your day-to-day operations. This is a one-stop reference for any task you will ever come across when administering a Moodle site of any shape and size.

Write efficient, clean, and reusable code with ScalaAbout This BookUnleash the power of Scala and apply it in the real worldIncrease your efficiency by leveraging the power of Creational, Structural, Behavioural, and Functional design patternsBuild object oriented and functional applications quickly and effectivelyWho This Book Is ForIf you want to increase your understanding of Scala and apply it to real-life application development, then this book is for you. We’ve also designed the book to be used as a quick reference guide while creating applications. Previous Scala programming knowledge is expected.What You Will LearnImmerse yourself in industry-standard design patterns—structural, creational, and behavioral—to create extraordinary applicationsFeel the power of traits and their application in ScalaImplement abstract and self types and build clean design patternsBuild complex entity relationships using structural design patternsCreate applications faster by applying functional design patternsIn DetailScala has become increasingly popular in many different IT sectors. The language is exceptionally feature-rich which helps developers write less code and get faster results. Design patterns make developer’s lives easier by helping them write great software that is easy to maintain, runs efficiently and is valuable to the company or people concerned.You will learn about the various features of Scala and be able to apply well-known, industry-proven design patterns in your work. The book starts off by focusing on some of the most interesting features of Scala while using practical real-world examples. We will also cover the popular "Gang of Four" design patterns and show you how to incorporate functional patterns effectively. By the end of this book, you will have enough knowledge and understanding to quickly assess problems and come up with elegant solutions.Style and approachThe design patterns in the book will be explained using real-world, step-by-step examples. For each design pattern, there will be hints about when to use it and when to look for something more suitable. This book can also be used as a practical guide, showing you how to leverage design patterns effectively.

Learn to design and 3D print organic and functional designs using BlenderAbout This BookLearn how to make complex shapes by editing basic onesMake printable objects from multiple shapes and partsLearn how to design from scratch, without a reference to physical objectsWho This Book Is ForYou should have basic knowledge of Blender and 3D printing and be interested in printing your first object.What You Will LearnGet to know the guiding principles required to create 3D printer-friendly modelsUnderstand material characteristics, printing specifications, tolerances, and design tipsMaster the art of modifying basic shapes with Blender's powerful editing tools: extrude, loop cuts, and other transformationsLearn techniques of editing complex meshes, smoothing, combining shapes, and exporting them into STL files for printingIn DetailThis book will cover the very basic but essential techniques you need to model an organic and functional object for 3D printing using Blender.Starting with pen and paper and then moving on to the computer, you will create your first project in Blender, add basic geometric shapes, and use techniques such as extruding and subdividing to transform these shapes into complex meshes. You will learn how modifiers can automatically refine the shape further and combine multiple shapes into a single 3D printable model.By the end of the book, you will have gained enough practical hands-on experience to be able to create a 3D printable object of your choice, which in this case is a 3D print-ready octopus pencil holder.Style and approachThis is a starter project designed to introduce you to your first real-world 3D printing designs, where you'll learn how to handle the fundamental principles of 3D printing design and have your hands on your reward in no time.

Over 80 recipes on how to identify, exploit, and test web application security with Kali Linux 2About This BookFamiliarize yourself with the most common web vulnerabilities a web application faces, and understand how attackers take advantage of themSet up a penetration testing lab to conduct a preliminary assessment of attack surfaces and run exploitsLearn how to prevent vulnerabilities in web applications before an attacker can make the most of itWho This Book Is ForThis book is for IT professionals, web developers, security enthusiasts, and security professionals who want an accessible reference on how to find, exploit, and prevent security vulnerabilities in web applications. You should know the basics of operating a Linux environment and have some exposure to security technologies and tools.What You Will LearnSet up a penetration testing laboratory in a secure wayFind out what information is useful to gather when performing penetration tests and where to look for itUse crawlers and spiders to investigate an entire website in minutesDiscover security vulnerabilities in web applications in the web browser and using command-line toolsImprove your testing efficiency with the use of automated vulnerability scannersExploit vulnerabilities that require a complex setup, run custom-made exploits, and prepare for extraordinary scenariosSet up Man in the Middle attacks and use them to identify and exploit security flaws within the communication between users and the web serverCreate a malicious site that will find and exploit vulnerabilities in the user's web browserRepair the most common web vulnerabilities and understand how to prevent them becoming a threat to a site's securityIn DetailWeb applications are a huge point of attack for malicious hackers and a critical area for security professionals and penetration testers to lock down and secure. Kali Linux is a Linux-based penetration testing platform and operating system that provides a huge array of testing tools, many of which can be used specifically to execute web penetration testing.This book will teach you, in the form step-by-step recipes, how to detect a wide array of vulnerabilities, exploit them to analyze their consequences, and ultimately buffer attackable surfaces so applications are more secure, for you and your users.Starting from the setup of a testing laboratory, this book will give you the skills you need to cover every stage of a penetration test: from gathering information about the system and the application to identifying vulnerabilities through manual testing and the use of vulnerability scanners to both basic and advanced exploitation techniques that may lead to a full system compromise. Finally, we will put this into the context of OWASP and the top 10 web application vulnerabilities you are most likely to encounter, equipping you with the ability to combat them effectively. By the end of the book, you will have the required skills to identify, exploit, and prevent web application vulnerabilities.Style and approachTaking a recipe-based approach to web security, this book has been designed to cover each stage of a penetration test, with de*ions on how tools work and why certain programming or configuration practices can become security vulnerabilities that may put a whole system, or network, at risk. Each topic is presented as a sequence of tasks and contains a proper explanation of why each task is performed and what it accomplishes.

Design and code your own 2D and 3D games efficiently using OpenGL and C++ About This Book Create 2D and 3D games completely, through a series of end-to-end game projects Learn to render high performance 2D and 3D graphics using OpenGL Implement a rudimentary game engine using step-by-step code Who This Book Is For If you are a prospective game developer with some experience using C++, then this book is for you. Both prospective and experienced game programmers will find nuggets of wisdom and practical advice as they learn to code two full games using OpenGL, C++, and a host of related tools. What You Will Learn Set up your development environment in Visual Studio using OpenGL Use 2D and 3D coordinate systems Implement an input system to handle the mouse and the keyboard Create a state machine to handle complex changes in the game Load, display, and manipulate both 2D and 3D graphics Implement collision detection and basic physics Discover the key components needed to complete a polished game Handle audio files and implement sound effects and music In Detail OpenGL is one of the most popular rendering SDKs used to develop games. OpenGL has been used to create everything from 3D masterpieces running on desktop computers to 2D puzzles running on mobile devices. You will learn to apply both 2D and 3D technologies to bring your game idea to life. There is a lot more to making a game than just drawing pictures and that is where this book is unique! It provides a complete tutorial on designing and coding games from the setup of the development environment to final credits screen, through the creation of a 2D and 3D game. The book starts off by showing you how to set up a development environment using Visual Studio, and create a code framework for your game. It then walks you through creation of two games–a 2D platform game called Roboracer 2D and a 3D first-person space shooter game–using OpenGL to render both 2D and 3D graphics using a 2D coordinate system. You'll create sprite classes, render sprites and animation, and navigate and control the characters. You will also learn how to implement input, use audio, and code basic collision and physics systems. From setting up the development environment to creating the final credits screen, the book will take you through the complete journey of creating a game engine that you can extend to create your own games. Style and approach An easy-to-follow guide full of code examples to illustrate every concept and help you build a 2D and 3D game from scratch, while learning the key tools that surround a typical OpenGL project.

Explore real-world threat scenarios, attacks on mobile applications, and ways to counter them About This Book Gain insights into the current threat landscape of mobile applications in particular Explore the different options that are available on mobile platforms and prevent circumventions made by attackers This is a step-by-step guide to setting up your own mobile penetration testing environment Who This Book Is For If you are a mobile application evangelist, mobile application developer, information security practitioner, penetration tester on infrastructure web applications, an application security professional, or someone who wants to learn mobile application security as a career, then this book is for you. This book will provide you with all the skills you need to get started with Android and iOS pen-testing. What You Will Learn Gain an in-depth understanding of Android and iOS architecture and the latest changes Discover how to work with different tool suites to assess any application Develop different strategies and techniques to connect to a mobile device Create a foundation for mobile application security principles Grasp techniques to attack different components of an Android device and the different functionalities of an iOS device Get to know secure development strategies for both iOS and Android applications Gain an understanding of threat modeling mobile applications Get an in-depth understanding of both Android and iOS implementation vulnerabilities and how to provide counter-measures while developing a mobile app In Detail Mobile security has come a long way over the last few years. It has transitioned from "should it be done?" to "it must be done!"Alongside the growing number of devises and applications, there is also a growth in the volume of Personally identifiable information (PII), Financial Data, and much more. This data needs to be secured. This is why Pen-testing is so important to modern application developers. You need to know how to secure user data, and find vulnerabilities and loopholes in your application that might lead to security breaches. This book gives you the necessary skills to security test your mobile applications as a beginner, developer, or security practitioner. You'll start by discovering the internal components of an Android and an iOS application. Moving ahead, you'll understand the inter-process working of these applications. Then you'll set up a test environment for this application using various tools to identify the loopholes and vulnerabilities in the structure of the applications. Finally, after collecting all information about these security loop holes, we'll start securing our applications from these threats. Style and approach This is an easy-to-follow guide full of hands-on examples of real-world attack simulations. Each topic is explained in context with respect to testing, and for the more inquisitive, there are more details on the concepts and techniques used for different platforms.

Over 40 practical recipes to get your hands dirty with the powerful Cisco UCS and overcome various challenges About This Book Master the skills of minimizing cost, enabling your business to work faster by reducing cycle times for reporting and improving overall revenue Work through hands-on recipes for efficient deployment approaches, see computing techniques, and explore new operational models with UCS Render a better work-flow management, ensure effective monitoring, and learn new deployment paradigms for the operational infrastructure with the help of this book Who This Book Is For This book is for competent system/network or storage administrators who are working with Cisco UCS, but now want to learn new ways to compute UCS. What You Will Learn Familiarize yourself with information on the latest information on memory management practices, virtualization architectures, and the specific technical advantages of UCS Get a concrete understanding of integrating processes and techniques to ensure effective convergence of LAN/SAN Get to know the best practices of Cisco UCS, EMC Storage, and VMware vSphere Master migrating data from other band servers or Blade to Cisco UCS Comprehend how to replicate and back up UCS to remote sites UCS Assimilate innovative techniques to deploy UCS to leverage its full potential Gather information on installing and configuring automatic and manual Pinning Discover ways to integrate a system in Cisco UCS In Detail Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) is a data center server platform that is used for computing, deploying, and storing resources in data center environments. This cookbook aims to teach you about various tasks you can implement to improve your existing method of configuring and deploying UCS. You will start by learning how to upgrade your firmware on Brocade and Cisco Fibre Channel Switch and will move on to enhance your knowledge of LAN connectivity. We will then discuss how to configure Windows 2008 and 2012 local boot in Cisco UCS. Next, you will learn how to install the operating system on Cisco UCS and use Cisco UCS Power Calculator to calculate the UCS consumption. Finally, we’ll take a look at backup solutions. By the end of the book, you will know several ways to build and compute in data center environment using Cisco UCS. Style and approach This guide explains every task in a conversational and easy-to-follow style. You can open this book up to the task you want to learn and will be able to perform that task by the end of the recipe.

Over 35 recipes to design and implement uniquely styled maps using the Mapbox platform About This Book Design and develop beautifully styled maps using TileMill, MapBox Studio, and CartoCSS Get to grips with the mapbox.js and Leaflet to create visually stunning web and mobile applications An easy-to-follow, quick reference guide to integrate powerful APIs and services like Foursquare, Fusion Tables, Geoserver, and CartoDB to populate your maps Who This Book Is For If you are a web developer seeking for GIS expertise on how to create, style, and publish interactive and unique styled maps, then this book is for you. Basic knowledge of programming and java*s is assumed. What You Will Learn Get accustomed to the MapBox Editor to visually style your maps Learn everything about CartoCSS, and how it will help you fine tune your styled maps Use MapBox Studio and Tilemill to generate your own tiles and vector maps Publish your maps using a variety of technologies like node.js, PHP, and Geoserver Integrate with third party APIs and services to populate your maps with public or private data Create many different map visualization styles like choropleth and heat maps, add interactivity, and even learn how to animate data over time Work with many different data formats and external services to create robust maps Learn to use MapBox GL to create a mobile application In Detail Maps are an essential element in today’s location aware applications. Right from displaying earth surface information to creating thematic maps displaying plethora of information, most of the developers lack the necessary knowledge to create customizable maps with combination of various tools and libraries. The MapBox platform is one such platform which offers all the tools and API required to create and publish a totally customizable map. Starting with building your first map with the online MapBox Editor, we will take you all the way to building advanced web and mobile applications with totally customizable map styles. Through the course of chapters we’ll learn CartoCSS styling language and understand the various components of MapBox platform and their corresponding JavaScript API. In the initial few chapters we will dive deeper into the TileMill and MapBox Studio components of MapBox and use them to generate custom styled map tiles and vector maps. Furthermore, we will publish these custom maps using PHP, node.js and third party tools like Geoserver. We’ll also learn to create different visualizations and map styles like a choropleth map, a heat map and add user interactivity using a UFTGrid. Moving on, we dive into advanced concepts and focus on integration with third party services like Foursquare, Google FusionTables, CartoDB, and Torque to help you populate and even animate your maps. In the final chapter we’ll learn to use the Mapbox SDK to create and publish interactive maps for the iOS platform. By the end of this book, you will learn about MapBox GL and how to create a fully functional, location-aware mobile app, using the maps styles created in the recipes. Style and approach An easy-to-use recipe driven book that will not just serve code samples, but also explains all the theory and concepts required to fully understand each recipe.

Develop the skills required to create compelling, maintainable, and robust iOS and OS X apps with Swift About This Book Write expressive, understandable, and maintainable Swift 2 code with this hands-on tutorial Unveil the complex underpinnings of Swift to turn your app ideas into reality This book is packed with real-life examples to help you implement concepts as you learn Who This Book Is For If you are looking to build iOS or OS X apps using the most modern technology, this book is ideal for you. You will find this book especially useful if you are new to programming or if you are yet to develop for iOS or OS X. No prior programming exposure is required. What You Will Learn Form a solid understanding of the Swift 2 language Get to know the practical aspects of how a computer program actually works Understand the paradigms used by Apple’s frameworks so you are not intimidated by them Utilize the vast resources written in Objective-C to better inform your Swift programming Develop a basic portfolio of Swift code by learning the critical concepts Experience both object-oriented and functional programming Get to know the new coding techniques made available by Swift 2 Discover resources to ensure you never stop becoming a better developer In Detail Swift is Apple’s new programming language and the future of iOS and OS X app development. It is a high-performance language that feels like a modern *ing language. On the surface, Swift is easy to jump into, but it has complex underpinnings that are critical to becoming proficient at turning an idea into reality. This book is an approachable, step-by-step introduction into programming with Swift for everyone. It begins by giving you an overview of the key features through practical examples and progresses to more advanced topics that help differentiate the proficient developers from the mediocre ones. It covers important concepts such as Variables, Optionals, Closures, Generics, and Memory Management. Mixed in with those concepts, it also helps you learn the art of programming such as maintainability, useful design patterns, and resources to further your knowledge. This all culminates in writing a basic iOS app that will get you well on your way to turning your own app ideas into reality. Style and approach This is an approachable, step-by-step guide to programming in Swift 2. Each topic is separated into compressible sections that are full of practical examples and easy-to-understand explanations. Each section builds on the previous topics so you can develop a proficient and comprehensive understanding of app development in Swift 2.

San Francisco Bay Area reporter Gabriella Giovanni stumbles onto a horrific crime scene with only one survivor—a baby girl found crawling between the dead bodies of her family members. Reeling from the slaughter, Gabriella clings to the infant. When Social Services pries the little girl from her arms, the enormity of the tragedy hits home. Diving deep into a case that brings her buried past to the forefront, Gabriella is determined to hunt down the killer who left this helpless baby an orphan.But one by one the clues all lead to a dead end, and Gabriella's obsession with finding justice pulls her into a dark, tortuous spiral that is set to destroy everything she loves …

In her delightful new novella, Georgia Bockoven brings readers back to the beloved beach house and the charming cottage next door…What should have been the best day in Diana Wagnor's twenty-nine years easily turns into the worst when her job is downsized, she discovers her fiancé in bed with her best friend, and she watches her cherished grandmother's house burn to the ground.Clearly it's time to start over and get out of Topeka, Kansas, where she's spent her whole life. But what should she doAnd how does she ever trust herself in another relationship when her one indisputable skill seems to be picking the wrong man?Diana finds her answers at the cottage next door to the beach house with the help of a tall, sculptured, soft-spoken Californian, and a heart-shaped piece of sea glass.

Confidence. We want it. We need it. But it can be maddeningly enigmatic and out of reach. The authors of the New York Times bestseller Womenomics deconstruct this essential, elusive, and misunderstood quality and offer a blueprint for bringing more of it into our lives.Is confidence hardwired into the DNA of a lucky few or can anyone learn itIs it best expressed by bravado, or is there another way to show confidenceWhich is more important: confidence or competenceWhy do so many women, even the most successful, struggle with feelings of self-doubtIs there a secret to channeling our inner confidenceIn The Confidence Code, journalists Katty Kay and Claire Shipman travel to the frontiers of neuroscience on a hunt for the confidence gene and reveal surprising new research on its roots in our brains. They visit the world's leading psychologists who explain how we can all chose to become more confident simply by taking action and courting risk, and how those actions change our physical wiring. They interview women leaders from the worlds of politics, sports, the military, and the arts to learn how they have tapped into this elemental resource. They examine how a lack of confidence impacts our leadership, success, and fulfillment.Ultimately, they argue, while confidence is partly influenced by genetics, it is not a fixed psychological state. That's the good news. You won't discover it by thinking positive thoughts or by telling yourself (or your children) that you are perfect as you are. You also won't find it by simply squaring your shoulders and faking it. But it does require a choice: less people pleasing and perfectionism and more action, risk taking, and fast failure.Inspiring, insightful, and persuasive, The Confidence Code shows that by acting on our best instincts and by daring to be authentic, women can feel the transformative power of a life on confidence.

The workplace around the world is changing growing increasingly multicultural, female, and younger. Experts often tell CEOs and managers what not to do, and corporate diversity programs can often appear to be like defensive measures against lawsuits and harassment charges. While technology has connected all of us as a global workforce, it has not equipped us with the capability to interact genuinely with people. In order to be successful in this new global business environment, we need to rethink the way we lead others.Flex offers a new approach a proactive strategy for managers to understand and leverage difference effectively in this new global economy.Flex shows managers how to understand the power gap the social distance between you and those in the workplace of different cultures, ages, and gender; stretch your management style and bridge the gap with more effective communication and feedback tools; and multiply the effect by teaching these skills to others and closing the power gap with clients, customers, and partners to create innovative solutions. Creating flex in a company's management style will affect all aspects of developing existing leaders, attracting future talent, and building relationships with customers in this competitive marketplace. Flex shows you how.

Why do some workplace cultures inspire energy and innovation, while others fuel anxiety, boredom, or cynicismUntil now, such legendary cultures have seemed like magic beyond our control. However, behind every culture is a surprisingly elegant science. Primed to Perform proves that the highest-performing cultures are built on a simple truth: why people work affects how well they work. Great organizations inspire the three most powerful motives for work play, purpose, and potential and eliminate the three most destructive emotional pressure, economic pressure, and inertia. They create total motivation (or ToMo, for short). Total motivation cultures create the highest-performing employees and the most adaptive organizations.Authors Neel Doshi and Lindsay McGregor show that extraordinary performance at companies like Southwest Airlines, Starbucks, Apple, and Whole Foods comes from cultures that inspire total motivation. They describe how investment professionals, salespeople, teachers, and CEOs perform better when driven by total motivation. And, most important, they share how you can build a culture that inspires total motivation in every moment of every day.Primed to Perform builds on over a century of academic thinking as well as the authors' original research into how ToMo drives performance at iconic companies. It introduces the authors' highly predictive new measurement tool, the total motivation factor, which allows leaders to measure the strength of their culture and understand how it changes over time. It gives leaders the tools to transform their own workplaces.High-performing cultures can't be left to chance; organizations must create systems that shape and maintain them. Whether you're a five-person team or a start-up, an elementary school or a university, a nonprofit or a mega-institution, Primed to Perform shows you how.

150 Best New Kitchen Ideas offers interior designers and homeowners the latest in modern and traditional kitchen design. Showcasing 150 profiles of the most exciting kitchen designs from around the world, this stunning compendium provides innovative solutions and practical advice for creating attractive, functional, and affordable kitchens, no matter the size of the space. Explore the diversity of current trends from concept design to beautiful finished kitchens—there is no shortage of ideas or wares to make cooking a much more pleasant experience. The newest addition to the 150 Best series, this indispensable guide, illustrated with hundreds of photographs, is an inspirational source of original ideas to create a beautiful new kitchen.

An essential reference and the latest in the popular 150 Best series, 150 Best New Bathroom Ideas offers an in-depth look at modern bathroom designs created by internationally renowned architects and designers.Inside, readers will discover harmonious approaches and practical materials to use when designing bathrooms, from light fixtures and color schemes to floor, wall, and window treatments. Along with numerous ideas for the shower, toilet, sink, and bathtub, this book is an indispensable guide to designing an attractive, functional, and cost-effective bathroom. Featuring hundreds of photographs, 150 Best New Bathroom Ideas explores the diversity of current trends and is an excellent source of ideas for homeowners, designers, interior decorators, and architects. From the glamorous and roomy bath-spa to the small but smart powder room, bathrooms can make a big statement with creative ideas that are as stylish as they are useful.