Mastering Roblox Coding. The unofficial guide to leveling up your Roblox scripting skills and building games using Luau programming

Mark Kiepe

Roblox is a game platform with over 47 million daily active users. Something unique to Roblox is that you’re playing games made by other gamers! This means that you can make your own games, even if you have no experience. In addition, Roblox provides a free engine that allows you to create and publish a simple game in less than five minutes and get paid while at it.Most Roblox games require programming. This book starts with the basics of programming in Roblox Luau. Each chapter builds on the previous one, which eventually results in you mastering programming concepts in Lua. Next, the book teaches you complex technologies that you can implement in your game. Each concept is explained clearly and uses simple examples that show you how the technology is being used. This book contains additional exercises for you to experiment with the concepts you’ve learned. Using best practices, you will understand how to write and build complex systems such as databases, user input controls, and all device user interfaces. In addition, you will learn how to build an entire game from scratch.By the end of this book, you will be able to program complex systems in Roblox from the ground up by learning how to write code using Luau and create optimized code.

The Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Workshop. Build your own highly scalable and robust data storage systems that can support a variety of cutting-edge AI applications

Chinmay Arankalle, Gareth Dwyer, Bas Geerdink, Kunal Gera, ...

Social networking sites see an average of 350 million uploads daily - a quantity impossible for humans to scan and analyze. Only AI can do this job at the required speed, and to leverage an AI application at its full potential, you need an efficient and scalable data storage pipeline. The Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Workshop will teach you how to build and manage one.The Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Workshop begins taking you through some real-world applications of AI. You’ll explore the layers of a data lake and get to grips with security, scalability, and maintainability. With the help of hands-on exercises, you’ll learn how to define the requirements for AI applications in your organization. This AI book will show you how to select a database for your system and run common queries on databases such as MySQL, MongoDB, and Cassandra. You’ll also design your own AI trading system to get a feel of the pipeline-based architecture. As you learn to implement a deep Q-learning algorithm to play the CartPole game, you’ll gain hands-on experience with PyTorch. Finally, you’ll explore ways to run machine learning models in production as part of an AI application.By the end of the book, you’ll have learned how to build and deploy your own AI software at scale, using various tools, API frameworks, and serialization methods.

Mastering Swift 5. Deep dive into the latest edition of the Swift programming language - Fifth Edition

Jon Hoffman

Over the years, the Mastering Swift book has established itself amongst developers as a popular choice as an in-depth and practical guide to the Swift programming language. The latest edition is fully updated and revised to cover the new version: Swift 5.Inside this book, you'll find the key features of Swift 5 easily explained with complete sets of examples. From the basics of the language to popular features such as concurrency, generics, and memory management, this definitive guide will help you develop your expertise and mastery of the Swift language.Mastering Swift 5, Fifth Edition will give you an in-depth knowledge of some of the most sophisticated elements in Swift development, including protocol extensions, error handling, and closures. It will guide you on how to use and apply them in your own projects.Later, you'll see how to leverage the power of protocol-oriented programming to write flexible and easier-to-manage code. You will also see how to add the copy-on-write feature to your custom value types and how to avoid memory management issues caused by strong reference cycles.

Programming with CodeIgniter MVC. Build feature-rich web applications using the CodeIgniter MVC framework

Yehuda Zadik, Eliahou Orr

The CodeIgniter Model-View-Controller framework provides genius simplicity, flexibility, and efficient resource usage, boosting performance and reusability.Programming with CodeIgniter MVC reviews the unique features of CodeIgniter using simple, easy-to-follow, and practical examples.Programming with CodeIgniter MVC provides a simple step-by-step guide to efficiently utilizingthe CodeIgniter MVC framework for developing web applications. This book is packed with engaging examples to understand the usage of controllers, libraries, and (Codeigniter) CI Models. This book commences with a quick discussion of the CodeIgniter Integration with  external plugins such as Flickr API, Google Maps and more will be reviewed with clear usage examples. It will then cover CI naming convention rules, mandatory and optional configurations, and usage within a CI project. It will also cover user defined configurations.By the end of this book, you will not only understand user-defined libraries in a CI framework, but also their services, role, usage, and scope with the help of an example-based approach. The book also covers helpers, models, and views, as well as their usage.Using this book, youwill soonbe able to develop feature-rich web applications using the CodeIgniter MVC framework. Programming with CodeIgniter MVC is a one-stop solution to developing solutions with CodeIgniter MVC.

Django 1.1 Testing and Debugging. Building rigorously tested and bug-free Django applications

Karen M. Tracey, Karen Tracey, Jacob Kaplan-Moss

Bugs are a time consuming burden during software development. Django's built-in test framework and debugging support help lessen this burden. This book will teach you quick and efficient techniques for using Django and Python tools to eradicate bugs and ensure your Django application works correctly. This book will walk you step by step through development of a complete sample Django application. You will learn how best to test and debug models, views, URL configuration, templates, and template tags. This book will help you integrate with and make use of the rich external environment of test and debugging tools for Python and Django applications. The book starts with a basic overview of testing. It will highlight areas to look out for while testing. You will learn about different kinds of tests available, and the pros and cons of each, and also details of test extensions provided by Django that simplify the task of testing Django applications. You will see an illustration of how external tools that provide even more sophisticated testing features can be integrated into Django's framework. On the debugging front, the book illustrates how to interpret the extensive debugging information provided by Django's debug error pages, and how to utilize logging and other external tools to learn what code is doing.

Optimizing Citrix XenDesktop for High Performance. Successfully deploy XenDesktop sites for a high performance Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

Craig Thomas Ellrod

Citrix XenDesktop is a suite of desktop virtualization tools designed to provide users with fast and convenient access to their Windows desktops and applications through any device. Virtual desktops mean that rather than setting up hundreds or thousands of individual computers in an enterprise, companies can instead opt to create servers with large amounts of memory, disk, and processing resources, and use virtualization to offer these resources to end users. The result of this is that users are provided with an experience that appears to be identical to having an individual desktop PC. Each user has some disk space, processor time, and memory allocated to them, as though it is present on their own physical machine, when in reality, the resources are physically present on a centralized server.This book starts by answering the basic questions you need to ask when considering XenDesktop, followed by methods of how you can properly size your server infrastructure for XenDesktop. You’ll discover how to optimize the virtual machines used in XenDesktop, how to optimize your network for XenDesktop, and how to optimize the hypervisor and the cloud. You’ll also learn how to monitor XenDesktop to maximize performance.By the end of the book, you will be able to plan, design, build, and deploy high performance XenDesktop Virtualization systems in enterprises. You will also know how to monitor and maintain your systems to ensure smooth operation.

The Music Producer's Creative Guide to Ableton Live 11. Level up your music recording, arranging, editing, and mixing skills and workflow techniques

Anna Lakatos, Ski Oakenfull

The Music Producer's Guide to Ableton Live will help you sharpen your production skills and gain a deeper understanding of the Live workflow. If you are a music maker working with other digital audios workstations (DAWs) or experienced in Ableton Live, perhaps earlier versions, you’ll be able to put your newfound knowledge to use right away with this book.You’ll start with some basic features and workflows that are more suitable for producers from another DAW looking to transfer their skills to Ableton Live 11.2. As you explore the Live concept, you’ll learn to create expressive music using Groove and MIDI effects and demystify Live 11’s new workflow improvements, such as Note Chance and Velocity Randomization. The book then introduces the Scale Mode, MIDI Transform tools, and other key features that can make composition and coming up with melodic elements easier than ever before. It will also guide you in implementing Live 11's new and updated effects into your current workflow.By the end of this Ableton Live book, you’ll be able to implement advanced production and workflow techniques and amplify live performance capabilities with what the Live 11 workflow has to offer.

Machine Learning for Finance. Principles and practice for financial insiders

Jannes Klaas

Machine Learning for Finance explores new advances in machine learning and shows how they can be applied across the financial sector, including insurance, transactions, and lending. This book explains the concepts and algorithms behind the main machine learning techniques and provides example Python code for implementing the models yourself.The book is based on Jannes Klaas’ experience of running machine learning training courses for financial professionals. Rather than providing ready-made financial algorithms, the book focuses on advanced machine learning concepts and ideas that can be applied in a wide variety of ways.The book systematically explains how machine learning works on structured data, text, images, and time series. You'll cover generative adversarial learning, reinforcement learning, debugging, and launching machine learning products. Later chapters will discuss how to fight bias in machine learning. The book ends with an exploration of Bayesian inference and probabilistic programming.

Template Metaprogramming with C++. Learn everything about C++ templates and unlock the power of template metaprogramming

Marius Bancila

Learn how the metaprogramming technique enables you to create data structures and functions that allow computation to happen at compile time. With this book, you'll realize how templates help you avoid writing duplicate code and are key to creating generic libraries, such as the standard library or Boost, that can be used in a multitude of programs.The introductory chapters of this book will give you insights into the fundamentals of templates and metaprogramming. You'll then move on to practice writing complex templates and exploring advanced concepts such as template recursion, template argument deduction, forwarding references, type traits, and conditional compilation. Along the way, you'll learn how to write variadic templates and how to provide requirements to the template arguments with C++20 constraints and concepts. Finally, you'll apply your knowledge of C++ metaprogramming templates to implement various metaprogramming patterns and techniques.By the end of this book, you'll have learned how to write effective templates and implement metaprogramming in your everyday programming journey.

Getting Started with Unity 2018. A Beginner's Guide to 2D and 3D game development with Unity - Third Edition

Dr. Edward Lavieri

The Unity game engine has revolutionized the gaming industry with its complete set of intuitive tools and rapid workflows, which can be used to create interactive 3D content. With Unity, you can scaffold your way from the basics and make make stunning interactive games. This book will guide you through the entire process of creating a 3D game, from downloading the Unity game engine to publishing your game. It not only gives you a strong foundation, but puts you on the path to game development. Beginning with an overview of the Unity engine and its interface, you will walk through the process of creating a game environment and learn how to use built-in assets, as well as assets created with third-party 3D modeling tools such as Blender. Moving on, you will create custom scripts to control non-player character behaviors and gameplay. You will master exciting concepts such as Heads-Up-Displays, mini-maps, game navigation, sound effects, and lighting effects. Next, you’ll learn how to create your first VR experience, right from setting up the project to image effects. You'll be familiarized with all the tools that Unity has to offer to create your own immersive VR experiences. Each section is a stepping stone toward the completion of the final game. By the end of the book, you'll have learned advanced topics such as cross-platform considerations which enable your games to run on multiple platforms.

Adobe Acrobat Ninja. A productivity guide with tips and proven techniques for business professionals using Adobe Acrobat

Urszula Witherell

Adobe Acrobat can help you solve a wide variety of problems that crop up when you work with PDF documents on a daily basis. The most common file type for business and communication, this compact portable document format is widely used to collect as well as present information, as well as being equipped with many lesser-known features that can keep your content secure while making it easy to share. From archive features that will keep your documents available for years to come to features related to accessibility, organizing, annotating, editing, and whatever else you use PDFs for, Acrobat has the answer if you know where to look.Designed for professionals who likely already use Adobe Acrobat Pro, this guide introduces many ideas, features, and online services, sorted and organized for you to easily find the topics relevant to your work and requirements.You can jump to any chapter without sifting through prior pages to explore the tools and functions explained through step-by-step instructions and examples. The information in some chapters may build on existing knowledge, but you are not expected to have an advanced level of prior experience.By the end of this book, you’ll have gained a solid understanding of the many capabilities of PDFs and how Acrobat makes it possible to work in a way that you will never miss good old ink and paper.

Salesforce CRM - The Definitive Admin Handbook. Successfully administer Salesforce CRM and Salesforce mobile implementations with best practices and real-world scenarios

Paul Goodey

Digital Forensics and Incident Response. A practical guide to deploying digital forensic techniques in response to cyber security incidents

Gerard Johansen

Digital Forensics and Incident Response will guide you through the entire spectrum of tasks associated with incident response, starting with preparatory activities associated with creating an incident response plan and creating a digital forensics capability within your own organization. You will then begin a detailed examination of digital forensic techniques including acquiring evidence, examining volatile memory, hard drive assessment, and network-based evidence. You will also explore the role that threat intelligence plays in the incident response process. Finally, a detailed section on preparing reports will help you prepare a written report for use either internally or in a courtroom.By the end of the book, you will have mastered forensic techniques and incident response and you will have a solid foundation on which to increase your ability to investigate such incidents in your organization.

Mastering Kotlin. Learn advanced Kotlin programming techniques to build apps for Android, iOS, and the web

Nate Ebel

Using Kotlin without taking advantage of its power and interoperability is like owning a sports car and never taking it out of the garage. While documentation and introductory resources can help you learn the basics of Kotlin, the fact that it’s a new language means that there are limited learning resources and code bases available in comparison to Java and other established languages.This Kotlin book will show you how to leverage software designs and concepts that have made Java the most dominant enterprise programming language. You’ll understand how Kotlin is a modern approach to object-oriented programming (OOP). This book will take you through the vast array of features that Kotlin provides over other languages. These features include seamless interoperability with Java, efficient syntax, built-in functional programming constructs, and support for creating your own DSL. Finally, you will gain an understanding of implementing practical design patterns and best practices to help you master the Kotlin language.By the end of the book, you'll have obtained an advanced understanding of Kotlin in order to be able to build production-grade applications.

Mastering Ninject for Dependency Injection. For .NET developers and architects, this is the ultimate guide to the principles of Dependency Injection and how to use the automating features of Ninject in the most effective way. Packed with examples, diagrams, and illustrations

Daniel Baharestani

Dependency injection is an approach to creating loosely coupled applications. Maintainability, testability, and extensibility are just a few advantages of loose coupling. Ninject is a software library which automates almost everything that we need in order to implement a dependency injection pattern.Mastering Ninject for Dependency Injection will teach you everything you need to know in order to implement dependency injection using Ninject in a real-life project. Not only does it teach you about Ninject core framework features that are essential for implementing dependency injection, but it also explores the power of Ninject's most useful extensions and demonstrates how to apply them.Mastering Ninject for Dependency Injection starts by introducing you to dependency injection and what it's meant for with the help of sufficient examples.Eventually, you'll learn how to integrate Ninject into your practical project and how to use its basic features. Also, you will go through scenarios wherein advanced features of Ninject, such as Multi-binding, Contextual binding, providers, factories and so on, come into play. As you progress, Mastering Ninject for Dependency Injection will show you how to create a multilayer application that demonstrates the use of Ninject on different application types such as MVC, WPF, WCF, and so on. Finally, you will learn the benefits of using the powerful extensions of Ninject.

Angular Projects. Build modern web apps by exploring Angular 12 with 10 different projects and cutting-edge technologies - Second Edition

Aristeidis Bampakos, Mark Thompson

Packed with practical advice and detailed recipes, this updated second edition of Angular Projects will teach you everything you need to know to build efficient and optimized web applications using Angular. Among the things you’ll learn in this book are the essential features of the framework, which you’ll master by creating ten different real-world web applications. Each application will demonstrate how to integrate Angular with a different library and tool. As you advance, you’ll familiarize yourself with implementing popular technologies, such as Angular Router, Scully, Electron, Angular service worker, Nx monorepo tools, NgRx, and more while building an issue tracking system. You’ll also work on a PWA weather application, a mobile photo geotagging application, a component UI library, and many other exciting projects.In the later chapters, you’ll get to grips with customizing Angular CLI commands using schematics.By the end of this book, you will have the skills you need to be able to build Angular apps using a variety of different technologies according to your or your client’s needs.