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

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

Unleash the power of Swift and discover the skills required to build incredible robust iOS applications About This Book Write expressive, understandable, and maintainable Swift 2 code with this hands-on course Unveil the complex underpinnings of Swift to turn your app ideas into reality Specialize in developing real iOS apps, and 2D and 3D video games using Swift and Cocoapods Dive deep into protocol extensions, learn new error handling model and use featured Swift design patterns to write more efficient code Who This Book Is For This course would be for app developers who are new to developing for iOS or OSX and are trying to get grips with Swift for the first time. What You Will Learn From 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 Create a server in Swift to deliver JSON data to an iOS app Take advantage of Cocoapods to use third-party libraries Build games with SpriteKit and SceneKit Develop an app running on the cloud to act as an API server for your client’s apps Dive into the core components of Swift 2 including operators, collections, control flow, and functions Create and use classes, structures, and enums including object-oriented topics such as inheritance, protocols, and extensions Develop a practical understanding of sub*s, optionals, and closures Master Objective-C interoperability with mix and match Access network resources using Swift Implement various standard design patterns in the Swift language In Detail The Swift––Developing iOS Applications course will take you on a journey to become an efficient iOS and OS X developer, with the latest trending topic in town. Right from the basics to the advanced level topics, this course would cover everything in detail. We’ll embark our journey by dividing the learning path into four modules. Each of these modules are a mini course in their own right; and as you complete each one, you’ll gain key skills and be ready for the material in the next module. The first module is like a 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. By the end of this module, you’ll have a basic understanding of Swift 2 and its functionalities. The second module will be the an easy-to-follow guide filled with tutorials to show you how to build real-world apps. The difficulty and complexity level increases chapter by chapter. Each chapter is dedicated to build a new app, beginning from a basic and unstyled app through to a full 3D game. The last two chapters show you how to build a complete client-server e-commerce app right from scratch. You’ll be able to build well-designed apps, effectively use AutoLayout, develop videogames, and build server apps. The third and the last module of our course will take an example-based approach where each concept covered is supported by example code to not only give you a good understanding of the concept, but also to demonstrate how to properly implement it. Style and approach This course includes all the resources that will help you jump into the app development .This course covers all the important aspects Swift application development and is divided into individual modules so that you develop your skill after the completion of a module and get ready for the next. Through this comprehensive course, you'll learn how to use Swift programming with hands-on examples from scratch to finish!

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

Create modular scalable enterprise-grade applications with JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 7 About This Book Leverage the power of JBoss EAP 7 along with Java EE 7 to create professional enterprise grade applications. Get you applications cloud ready and make them highly scalable using this advanced guide. Become a pro Java Developer and move ahead of the crowd with this advanced practical guide. Who This Book Is For The ideal target audience for this book is Java System Administrators who already have some experience with JBoss EAP and who now want explore in depth creating Enterprise grade apps with the latest JBoss EAP version. What You Will Learn Configure services using the Command Line Interface Deliver fault tolerant server configurations Harden the application server with advanced techniques Expand the application server's horizon with tools such as like Docker/OpenShift Create enterprise ready configurations using clustering techniques. Deliver advanced security solutions and learn how to troubleshoot common network/performance issues In Detail The JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (EAP) has been one of the most popular tools for Java developers to create modular, cloud-ready, and modern applications. It has achieved a reputation for architectural excellence and technical savvy, making it a solid and efficient environment for delivering your applications. The book will first introduce application server configuration and the management instruments that can be used to control the application server. Next, the focus will shift to enterprise solutions such as clustering, load balancing, and data caching; this will be the core of the book. We will also discuss services provided by the application server, such as database connectivity and logging. We focus on real-world example configurations and how to avoid common mistakes. Finally, we will implement the knowledge gained so far in terms of Docker containers and cloud availability using RedHat's OpenShift. Style and approach If you are a Java developer who wants to level-up to modern day Java web development with the latest Java EE 7 and JBoss EAP 7, this book is the ideal solution for you. It addresses (in a clear and simple way) proof-of-concept scenarios such as clustering and cloud and container configurations, and explains how to solve common issues.

Utilize the power of modular programming to improve code readability, maintainability, and testability About This Book This book demonstrates code reusability and distributed development to get high speed, maintainable, and fast applications It illustrates the development of a complete modular application developed using PHP7 in detail This book provides a high-level overview of the Symfony framework, a set of tools and a development methodology that are needed to build a modular web shop application Who This Book Is For This step-by-step guide is divided into two sections. The first section explores all the fundamentals of modular design technique with respect to PHP 7. The latter section demonstrates the practical development of individual modules of a web shop application. What You Will Learn Discover the new features of PHP 7 that are relevant to modular application development Write manageable code based on the GoF design patterns and SOLID principles Define the application requirements of a working modular application Explore the ins and outs of the Symfony framework Build a set of modules based on the Symfony framework that comprise a simple web shop app Use core modules to set the structure and dependencies for other modules to use Set up entities that are relevant to the module functionality and see how to manage these entities In Detail Modular design techniques help you build readable, manageable, reusable, and more efficient codes. PHP 7, which is a popular open source *ing language, is used to build modular functions for your software. With this book, you will gain a deep insight into the modular programming paradigm and how to achieve modularity in your PHP code. We start with a brief introduction to the new features of PHP 7, some of which open a door to new concepts used in modular development. With design patterns being at the heart of all modular PHP code, you will learn about the GoF design patterns and how to apply them. You will see how to write code that is easy to maintain and extend over time with the help of the SOLID design principles. Throughout the rest of the book, you will build different working modules of a modern web shop application using the Symfony framework, which will give you a deep understanding of modular application development using PHP 7. Style and approach This book is for intermediate-level PHP developers with little to no knowledge of modular programming who want to understand design patterns and principles in order to better utilize the existing frameworks for modular application development.

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

Develop applications on one of the most popular platforms for IoT using Particle Photon and Electron with this fast-paced guide About This Book Get an introduction to IoT architecture, command-line build tools and applications of IoT devices and sensors Design and develop connected IoT applications using Particle Photon and Electron in a step-by-step manner, gaining an entry point into the field of IoT Get tips on troubleshooting IoT applications Who This Book Is For This book is for developers, IoT enthusiasts and hobbyists who want to enhance their knowledge of IoT machine-to-machine architecture using Particle Photon and Electron, and implement cloud-based IoT projects. What You Will Learn Setup the Particle Photon and Electron on the cloud using the command-line tools Build and deploy applications on the Photon and Electron using the Web-based IDE Setup a local cloud server to interact with Particle Photon and Electron Connect various components and sensors to Particle Photon and Electron Tinker with the existing firmware and deploy a custom firmware on the Photon and Electron Setup communication between two or more Particle Photon and Electron Debug and troubleshoot Particle Photon and Electron projects Use webhooks to communicate with various third-party server applications In Detail IoT is basically the network of physical devices, vehicles, buildings and other items—embedded with electronics, software, sensors, actuators, and network connectivity that enable these objects to collect and exchange data.. The number of connected devices is growing rapidly and will continue to do so over years to come. By 2020, there will be more than 20 billion connected devices and the ability to program such devices will be in high demand. Particle provides prototyping boards for IoT that are easy to program and deploy. Most importantly, the boards provided by Particle can be connected to the Internet very easily as they include Wi-Fi or a GSM module. Starting with the basics of programming Particle Photon and Electron, this book will take you through setting up your local servers and running custom firmware, to using the Photon and Electron to program autonomous cars. This book also covers in brief a basic architecture and design of IoT applications. It gives you an overview of the IoT stack. You will also get information on how to debug and troubleshoot Particle Photon and Electron and set up your own debugging framework for any IoT board. Finally, you’ll tinker with the firmware of the Photon and Electron by modifying the existing firmware and deploying them to your boards. By the end of this book, you should have a fairly good understanding of the IoT ecosystem and you should be able to build standalone projects using your own local server or the Particle Cloud Server. Style and approach This project-based guide contains easy-to-follow steps to program Particle Photon and Electron. You will learn to build connected applications with the help of projects of increasing complexity, and with each project, a new concept in IoT is taught.

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

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

Build real-world, production-ready solutions by harnessing the powerful features of Go About This Book An easy-to-follow guide that provides everything a developer needs to know to build end-to-end web applications in Go Write interesting and clever, but simple code, and learn skills and techniques that are directly transferable to your own projects A practical approach to utilize application scaffolding to design highly scalable programs that are deeply rooted in go routines and channels Who This Book Is For This book is intended for developers who are new to Go, but have previous experience of building web applications and APIs. What You Will Learn Build a fully featured REST API to enable client-side single page apps Utilize TLS to build reliable and secure sites Learn to apply the nuances of the Go language to implement a wide range of start-up quality projects Create websites and data services capable of massive scale using Go's net/http package, exploring RESTful patterns as well as low-latency WebSocket APIs Interact with a variety of remote web services to consume capabilities ranging from authentication and authorization to a fully functioning thesaurus Explore the core syntaxes and language features that enable concurrency in Go Understand when and where to use concurrency to keep data consistent and applications non-blocking, responsive, and reliable Utilize advanced concurrency patterns and best practices to stay low-level without compromising the simplicity of Go itself In Detail Go is an open source programming language that makes it easy to build simple, reliable, and efficient software. It is a statically typed language with syntax loosely derived from that of C, adding garbage collection, type safety, some dynamic-typing capabilities, additional built-in types such as variable-length arrays and key-value maps, and a large standard library. This course starts with a walkthrough of the topics most critical to anyone building a new web application. Whether it’s keeping your application secure, connecting to your database, enabling token-based authentication, or utilizing logic-less templates, this course has you covered. Scale, performance, and high availability lie at the heart of the projects, and the lessons learned throughout this course will arm you with everything you need to build world-class solutions. It will also take you through the history of concurrency, how Go utilizes it, how Go differs from other languages, and the features and structures of Go's concurrency core. It will make you feel comfortable designing a safe, data-consistent, and high-performance concurrent application in Go. This course is an invaluable resource to help you understand Go's powerful features to build simple, reliable, secure, and efficient web applications. Style and approach This course is a step-by-step guide, which starts off with the basics of go programming to build web applications and will gradually move on to cover intermediate and advanced topics. You will be going through this smooth transition by building interesting projects along with the authors, discussing significant options, and decisions at each stage, while keeping the programs lean, uncluttered, and as simple as possible.

Learn core concepts of Python and unleash its power to * highest quality Python programs About This Book Develop a strong set of programming skills with Pyhton that you will be able to express in any situation, on every platform, thanks to Python's portability Stop writing *s and start architecting programs by applying object-oriented programming techniques in Python Learn the trickier aspects of Python and put it in a structured context for deeper understanding of the language Who This Book Is For This course is meant for programmers who wants to learn Python programming from a basic to an expert level. The course is mostly self-contained and introduces Python programming to a new reader and can help him become an expert in this trade. What You Will Learn Get Python up and running on Windows, Mac, and Linux in no time Grasp the fundamental concepts of coding, along with the basics of data structures and control flow Understand when to use the functional or the object-oriented programming approach Extend class functionality using inheritance Exploit object-oriented programming in key Python technologies, such as Kivy and Django Understand how and when to use the functional programming paradigm Use the multiprocessing library, not just locally but also across multiple machines In Detail Python is a dynamic and powerful programming language, having its application in a wide range of domains. It has an easy-to-use, simple syntax, and a powerful library, which includes hundreds of modules to provide routines for a wide range of applications, thus making it a popular language among programing enthusiasts.This course will take you on a journey from basic programming practices to high-end tools and techniques giving you an edge over your peers. It follows an interesting learning path, divided into three modules. As you complete each one, you’ll have gained key skills and get ready for the material in the next module.The first module will begin with exploring all the essentials of Python programming in an easy-to-understand way. This will lay a good foundation for those who are interested in digging deeper. It has a practical and example-oriented approach through which both the introductory and the advanced topics are explained. Starting with the fundamentals of programming and Python, it ends by exploring topics, like GUIs, web apps, and data science.In the second module you will learn about object oriented programming techniques in Python. Starting with a detailed analysis of object-oriented technique and design, you will use the Python programming language to clearly grasp key concepts from the object-oriented paradigm. This module fully explains classes, data encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, abstraction, and exceptions with an emphasis on when you can use each principle to develop well-designed software.With a good foundation of Python you will move onto the third module which is a comprehensive tutorial covering advanced features of the Python language. Start by creating a project-specific environment using venv. This will introduce you to various Pythonic syntax and common pitfalls before moving onto functional features and advanced concepts, thereby gaining an expert level knowledge in programming and teaching how to * highest quality Python programs. Style and approach This course follows a theory-cum-practical approach having all the ingredients that will help you jump into the field of Python programming as a novice and grow-up as an expert. The aim is to create a smooth learning path that will teach you how to get started with Python and carry out expert-level programming techniques at the end of course.

Build fast and efficient Android apps that run as reliably as clockwork in a multi-device world About This Book . Wide coverage of various topics that help in developing optimal applications . Explore the concepts of Advanced Native Coding in depth . A must-have for professional-standard Android developers for whom performance failures and the sloppy use of resources are simply unacceptable Who This Book Is For This book is aimed at developers with an advanced knowledge of Android and who want to test their skills and learn new techniques to increase the performance of their applications. We assume they are comfortable working with the entire Android SDK, and have been doing it for a few years. They need to be familiar with frameworks such as NDK to use native code, which is crucial for app performance What You Will Learn . Create Android applications that squeeze the most from the limited resource capacity of devices . Swap code that isn’t performing . Efficient memory management by identifying problems such as leaks . Reap the benefits of multithreaded and asynchronous programming . Maximize the security and encryption mechanisms natively provided by Android . Perform efficient network operations and techniques to retrieve data from servers . Master the NDK to write native code that can perform faster operations In Detail Performant applications are one of the key drivers of success in the mobile world. Users may abandon an app if it runs slowly. Learning how to build applications that balance speed and performance with functionality and UX can be a challenge; however, it's now more important than ever to get that balance right. Android High Performance will start you thinking about how to wring the most from any hardware your app is installed on, so you can increase your reach and engagement. The book begins by providing an introduction to state–of-the-art Android techniques and the importance of performance in an Android application. Then, we will explain the Android SDK tools regularly used to debug and profile Android applications. We will also learn about some advanced topics such as building layouts, multithreading, networking, and security. Battery life is one of the biggest bottlenecks in applications; and this book will show typical examples of code that exhausts battery life, how to prevent this, and how to measure battery consumption from an application in every kind of situation to ensure your apps don’t drain more than they should. This book explains techniques for building optimized and efficient systems that do not drain the battery, cause memory leaks, or slow down with time. Style and approach The book follows a tutorial-based approach to take the reader from the basic fundamentals of debugging to advanced performance-improvement concepts.

Develop fantastic games and solve common development problems with Unreal Engine 4 About This Book Investigate the big world of Unreal Engine, computer graphics rendering and Material editor to implement in your games Construct a top-notch game by using the assets offered by Unreal Engine, thereby reducing the time to download, create assets on your own. Understand when and why to use different features and functionalities of Unreal Engine 4 to create your own games Learn to use Unreal 4 by making a first person puzzle game, Blockmania, for Android. Who This Book Is For This path is ideal for those who have a strong interest in game development and some development experience. An intermediate understanding of C++ is recommended. What You Will Learn Explore the Unreal Engine 4 editor controls and learn how to use the editor to create a room in a game level Get clued up about working with Slate, Unreal’s UI solution through the UMG Editor Put together your own content and materials to build cutscenes and learn how to light scenes effectively Get tips and tricks on how to create environments using terrain for outdoor areas and a workflow for interiors as well using brushes Explore the ways to package your game for Android Devices and porting it to the Google Playstore Know inside out about creating materials, and applying them to assets for better performance Understand the differences between BSP and static meshes to make objects interactive In Detail Unreal Engine technology powers hundreds of games. This Learning Path will help you create great 2D and 3D games that are distributed across multiple platforms. The first module, Learning Unreal Engine Game Development, starts with small, simple game ideas and playable projects. It starts by showing you the basics in the context of an individual game level. Then, you'll learn how to add details such as actors, animation, effects, and so on to the game. This module aims to equip you with the confidence and skills to design and build your own games using Unreal Engine 4. By the end of this module, you will be able to put into practise your own content. After getting familiar with Unreal Engine’s core concepts, it’s time that you dive into the field of game development. In this second module, Unreal Engine Game Development Cookbook we show you how to solve development problems using Unreal Engine, which you can work through as you build your own unique project. Every recipe provides step-by-step instructions, with explanations of how these features work, and alternative approaches and research materials so you can learn even more. You will start by building out levels for your game, followed by recipes to help you create environments, place meshes, and implement your characters. By the end of this module, you will see how to create a health bar and main menu, and then get your game ready to be deployed and published. The final step is to create your very own game that will keep mobile users hooked. This is what you'll be learning in our third module, Learning Unreal Engine Android Game Development,Once you get the hang of things, you will start developing our game, wherein you will graduate from movement and character control to AI and spawning. Once you've created your application, you will learn how to port and publish your game to the Google Play Store. With this course, you will be inspired to come up with your own great ideas for your future game development projects. Style and approach A practical collection of bestselling Packt titles, this Learning Path aims to help you skill up with Unreal Engine by curating some of our best titles into an essential, sequential collection.

Discover how to build impressive 3D graphics with the next-generation graphics API—Vulkan About This Book Get started with the Vulkan API and its programming techniques using the easy-to-follow examples to create stunning 3D graphics Understand memory management in Vulkan and implement image and buffer resources Get hands-on with the drawing process and synchronization, and render a 3D graphics scene with the Vulkan graphics pipeline Who This Book Is For This book is ideal for graphic programmers who want to get up and running with Vulkan. It’s also great for programmers who have experience with OpenGL and other graphic APIs who want to take advantage of next generation APIs. A good knowledge of C/C++ is expected. What You Will Learn Learn fundamentals of Vulkan programing model to harness the power of modern GPU devices. Implement device, command buffer and queues to get connected with the physical hardware. Explore various validation layers and learn how to use it for debugging Vulkan application. Get a grip on memory management to control host and device memory operations. Understand and implement buffer and image resource types in Vulkan. Define drawing operations in the Render pass and implement graphics pipeline. Manage GLSL shader using SPIR-V and update the shader resources with de*or sets and push constants. Learn the drawing process, manage resources with synchronization objects and render 3D scene output on screen with Swapchain. Bring realism to your rendered 3D scene with textures, and implement linear and optimal textures In Detail Vulkan, the next generation graphics and compute API, is the latest offering by Khronos. This API is the successor of OpenGL and unlike OpenGL, it offers great flexibility and high performance capabilities to control modern GPU devices. With this book, you'll get great insights into the workings of Vulkan and how you can make stunning graphics run with minimum hardware requirements. We begin with a brief introduction to the Vulkan system and show you its distinct features with the successor to the OpenGL API. First, you will see how to establish a connection with hardware devices to query the available queues, memory types, and capabilities offered. Vulkan is verbose, so before diving deep into programing, you’ll get to grips with debugging techniques so even first-timers can overcome error traps using Vulkan’s layer and extension features. You’ll get a grip on command buffers and acquire the knowledge to record various operation commands into command buffer and submit it to a proper queue for GPU processing. We’ll take a detailed look at memory management and demonstrate the use of buffer and image resources to create drawing textures and image views for the presentation engine and vertex buffers to store geometry information. You'll get a brief overview of SPIR-V, the new way to manage shaders, and you'll define the drawing operations as a single unit of work in the Render pass with the help of attachments and subpasses. You'll also create frame buffers and build a solid graphics pipeline, as well as making use of the synchronizing mechanism to manage GPU and CPU hand-shaking. By the end, you’ll know everything you need to know to get your hands dirty with the coolest Graphics API on the block. Style and approach This book takes a practical approach to guide you through the Vulkan API, and you will get to build an application throughout the course of the book. Since you are expected to be familiar with C/C++, there is not much hand-holding throughout the course of the book.

Save time and resources by getting to know the best practices and intelligence from industry experts About This Book This book helps you gain a fresh perspective through a recipe-based approach on the new Microsoft Server 2016 Hyper-V Over 80 recipes to help you master the administrative tasks of Hyper-V and get to grips with advanced solutions and techniques for virtualization These hands-on advanced recipes will help you deploy, maintain, and upgrade Hyper-V virtual machines Who This Book Is For This book is for Hyper-V administrators who are looking to take advantage of all exciting new features that Microsoft Server 2016 Hyper-V has to offer. What You Will Learn Install and manage Hyper-V in Full, Server Core, and Nano Server Get to know how to migrate and upgrade physical and virtual machines Configure disks, network, memory, security, and auditing settings for virtual machines Take a deep dive into high availability and disaster recovery Save time and money by getting to grips with PowerShell automation Understand the new features around network and nested virtualization, distributed storage QoS, Hyper-V Replica, and much more Gain a full view of your virtual machines and host servers through monitoring, reporting, and troubleshooting tips In Detail Hyper-V is a Windows-based, very cost-effective virtualization solution with easy-to-use and well-known administrative consoles. With this book on your side you will master the worlds of Hyper-V deployment, migration, and management by learning tips, tricks, and best practices, especially when it comes to advanced-level tasks. You will learn how to quickly deploy and automate multiple VMs, and support Hyper-V clusters through different installation methods. You will learn the concepts efficiently with the help of up-to-date real-world examples and improve the scalability and efficiency of large-scale VM deployments with Nano Server. By the end of this book, you will be an ace Windows Server 2016 Hyper-V with the skills needed to administer and manage it effectively and survive in the brave new world of mobile-first, cloud-first. Further, take advantage of bonus appendix explaining Hyper-V and backup architecture and the difference between versions. Style and approach This advanced-level book provides step-by-step recipes on real-world examples so you can get practical, hands-on experience of the subjects.

Create your own augmented reality games from scratch with Unity 5 About This Book Create your own augmented reality game from scratch and join the virtual reality gaming revolution Use the latest Unity 5 VR SDK to create pro-level AR games like Pokémon Go Innovate and explore the latest and most promising trend of AR gaming in the mobile gaming industry Who This Book Is For This book is for those who have a basic knowledge of game development techniques, but no previous knowledge of Unity is required. Some basic programming knowledge would be desirable, but the book is an introduction to the topic. The book is also suitable for experienced developers new to GIS or GPS development. What You Will Learn Build a location-based augmented reality game called Foodie Go Animate a player’s avatar on a map Use the mobile device’s camera as a game background Implement database persistence with SQLLite4Unity3D to carry inventory items across game sessions Create basic UI elements for the game, inventory, menu, and settings Perform location and content searches against the Google Places API Enhance the game’s mood by adding visual shader effects Extend the game by adding multiplayer networking and other enhancements In Detail The heyday of location-based augmented reality games is upon us. They have been around for a few years, but the release of Pokémon Go was a gamechanger that catalyzed the market and led to a massive surge in demand. Now is the time for novice and experienced developers alike to turn their good ideas into augmented reality (AR) mobile games and meet this demand! If you are keen to develop virtual reality games with the latest Unity 5 toolkit, then this is the book for you. The genre of location-based AR games introduces a new platform and technical challenges, but this book will help simplify those challenges and show how to maximize your game audience. This book will take you on a journey through building a location-based AR game that addresses the core technical concepts: GIS fundamentals, mobile device GPS, mapping, map textures in Unity, mobile device camera, camera textures in Unity, accessing location-based services, and other useful Unity tips. The technical material also discusses what is necessary for further development to create a multiplayer version of the game. At the end, you will be presented with troubleshooting techniques in case you get into trouble and need a little help. Style and approach This book shows you how to create every step of the game and gives practical examples.

Configure, manage, and customize Odoo to build professional-level business applications About This Book Build an Odoo module and integrate it with other platforms through this practical guide This book is the perfect companion to help you customize your Odoo installations for your enterprise requirements Use project management along with analytics for better reporting Who This Book Is For This book is for those who have not used Odoo before, allowing you to learn advanced-level features with Odoo such as creating your own custom modules. You do not need any knowledge of Odoo. What You Will Learn Configure a functioning customer relationship management system Set up a purchasing and receiving system Implement manufacturing operations and processes using real-world examples Discover the capabilities of Odoo's financial accounting and reporting features Integrate powerful human resource applications Utilize Odoo's project management application to organize tasks Customize Odoo without writing a line a code In Detail Odoo is a comprehensive set of open-source enterprise management applications. Now with Odoo 10, you have access to a powerful website builder, integrated e-commerce features, and a fast-growing community to help transform and modernize your business. You will start with how to set up Odoo online and on your own server. You’ll then configure the basic company settings required to quickly getting your first Odoo system up and running. Later you’ll explore Customer Relationship Management in Odoo and and their importance in today's modern business environment. Next we will deep dive into purchasing application with Odoo and learn some of the primary functionalities of ERP systems for manufacturing operations. You will then use analytic accounting to provide better reporting. Finally you will walk through the recent Odoo 10 features with respect to the community and enterprise edition giving you complete understanding of what Odoo can do for you no matter the reason! Style and approach This fast-paced, step-by-step guide will show you everything you need to know about the Odoo module ecosystem through practical and real-world examples.

Bring the best out of DevOps and build, deploy, and maintain applications on AWS About This Book Work through practical examples and gain DevOps best practices to successfully deploy applications on AWS Successfully provision and operate distributed application systems and your AWS infrastructure using DevOps Perform Continuous Integration and deployment and fine-tune the way you deliver on AWS Who This Book Is For This book is for system administrators and developers who manage AWS infrastructure and environments and are planning to implement DevOps in their organizations. Those aiming for the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer certification will also find this book useful. Prior experience of operating and managing AWS environments is expected. What You Will Learn See the difference between Object Oriented Programming and Protocol Oriented Programming See the difference between reference and value types and when to use each Find out how we can leverage the tuple to reduce the complexity of our code Discover what protocols are and how to use them See how to implement protocol extensions to create a very flexible code base Learn how to implement several design patterns in a Protocol-Oriented approach Learn how to solve real-world design issues with protocol-oriented programming In Detail Knowing how to adopt DevOps in your organization is becoming an increasingly important skill for developers, whether you work for a start-up, an SMB, or an enterprise. This book will help you to drastically reduce the amount of time spent on development and increase the reliability of your software deployments on AWS using popular DevOps methods of automation. To start, you will get familiar with the concept of IaC and will learn to design, deploy, and maintain AWS infrastructure. Further on, you’ll see how to design and deploy a Continuous Integration platform on AWS using either open source or AWS provided tools/services. Following on from the delivery part of the process, you will learn how to deploy a newly created, tested, and verified artefact to the AWS infrastructure without manual intervention. You will then find out what to consider in order to make the implementation of Configuration Management easier and more effective. Toward the end, you will get to know the tricks and tips to optimize and secure your AWS environment. By the end of the book, you will have mastered the art of applying AWS to DevOps in your organization Style and approach This book is packed full of real-world examples demonstrating use cases that help you deploy DevOps best practices on AWS.

Create amazing games with solid gameplay features, using a professional-grade workflow inside the Unity engine! About This Book Become a Unity master by creating a practical, in-depth game-development project with Unity Use advanced C# *ing to unlock the complete potential of Unity 5 Use Version Control to Effectively Manage and Scale your workflow Who This Book Is For If you are a Unity developer who now wants to develop and deploy interesting games by leveraging the new features of Unity 5.x, then this is the book for you. Basic knowledge of C# programming is assumed. What You Will Learn Explore hands-on tasks and real-world scenarios to make a Unity horror adventure game Create enemy characters that act intelligently and make reasoned decisions Use data files to save and restore game data in a way that is platform-agnostic Get started with VR development Use Navigation Meshes, Occlusion Culling, and the Profiler tools Work confidently with GameObjects, Rotations, and Transformations Understand specific gameplay features such as AI enemies, inventory systems, and level design In Detail Do you want to take the leap from being an everyday Unity developer to being a pro game developerThen look no further! This book is your one stop solution to creating mesmerizing games with lifelike features and amazing gameplay. This book takes an in-depth focus on a practical project with Unity, building a first-person game with many features. You’ll dive deep into the architecture of a Unity game, creating expansive worlds, interesting render effects, and other features to make your games special. You will create individual game components, use efficient animation techniques, and implement collision and physics effectively. Specifically, we’ll explore optimal techniques for importing game assets, such as meshes and textures; tips and tricks for effective level design; how to animate and * NPCs; how to configure and deploy to mobile devices; how to prepare for VR development; and how to work with version control, and more. By the end of this book, you’ll have developed sufficient competency in Unity development to produce fun games with confidence. Style and approach This book takes a step-by-step, practical tutorial approach. You will create an advanced level Unity game with an emphasis on leveraging the advanced Unity 5 features. You will make the most of the Unity 5 advanced features while you develop the game in its entirety.

Create complex and visually stunning games using all the advanced features available in SFML development About This Book Build custom tools, designed to work with your specific game. Use raw modern OpenGL and go beyond SFML. Revamp your code for better structural design, faster rendering, and flashier graphics. Use advanced lighting techniques to add that extra touch of sophistication. Implement a very fast and efficient particle system by using a cache-friendly design. Who This Book Is For This book is ideal for game developers who have some basic knowledge of SFML and also are familiar with C++ coding in general. No knowledge of OpenGL or even more advanced rendering techniques is required. You will be guided through every bit of code step by step. What You Will Learn Dive deep into creating complex and visually stunning games using SFML, as well as advanced OpenGL rendering and shading techniques Build an advanced, dynamic lighting and shadowing system to add an extra graphical kick to your games and make them feel a lot more dynamic Craft your own custom tools for editing game media, such as maps, and speed up the process of content creation Optimize your code to make it blazing fast and robust for the users, even with visually demanding scenes Get a complete grip on the best practices and industry grade game development design patterns used for AAA projects In Detail SFML is a cross-platform software development library written in C++ with bindings available for many programming languages. It provides a simple interface to the various components of your PC, to ease the development of games and multimedia applications. This book will help you become an expert of SFML by using all of its features to its full potential. It begins by going over some of the foundational code necessary in order to make our RPG project run. By the end of chapter 3, we will have successfully picked up and deployed a fast and efficient particle system that makes the game look much more ‘alive’. Throughout the next couple of chapters, you will be successfully editing the game maps with ease, all thanks to the custom tools we’re going to be building. From this point on, it’s all about making the game look good. After being introduced to the use of shaders and raw OpenGL, you will be guided through implementing dynamic scene lighting, the use of normal and specular maps, and dynamic soft shadows. However, no project is complete without being optimized first. The very last chapter will wrap up our project by making it lightning fast and efficient. Style and approach This book uses a step by step approach by breaking the problems down into smaller, much more manageable obstacles, and guiding the reader through them with verified, flexible, and autonomous solutions.