.NET MAUI for C# Developers. Build cross-platform mobile and desktop applications

Jesse Liberty, Rodrigo Juarez, Maddy Montaquila (Leger)

While UI plays a pivotal role in retaining users in a highly competitive landscape, maintaining the same UI can be tricky if you use different languages for different platforms, leading to mismatches and un-synced pages. In this book, you'll see how .NET MAUI allows you to create a real-world application that will run natively on different platforms. By building on your C# experience, you’ll further learn to create beautiful and engaging UI using XAML, architect a solid app, and discover best practices for this Microsoft platform.The book starts with the fundamentals and quickly moves on to intermediate and advanced topics on laying out your pages, navigating between them, and adding controls to gather and display data. You’ll explore the key architectural pattern of Model-View-ViewModel: and ways to leverage it. You’ll also use xUnit and NSubstitute to create robust and reliable code.By the end of this book, you’ll be well-equipped to leverage .NET MAUI and create an API for your app to interact with a web frontend to the backend data using C#.

Building a 3D Game with LibGDX. Click here to enter text

Sebastián Di Giuseppe, Andreas Krühlmann, Elmar van Rijnswou

LibGDX is a hugely popular open source, cross-platform, Java-based game development framework built for the demands of cross-platform game development. This book will teach readers how the LibGDX framework uses its 3D rendering API with the OpenGL wrapper, in combination with Bullet Physics, 3D Particles, and Shaders to develop and deploy a game application to different platformsYou will start off with the basic Intellij environment, workflow and set up a LibGDX project with necessary APIs for 3D development. You will then go through LibGDX’s 3D rendering API main features and talk about the camera used for 3D. Our next step is to put everything together to build a basic 3D game with Shapes, including basic gameplay mechanics and basic UI. Next you will go through modeling, rigging, and animation in Blender. We will then talk about refining mechanics, new input implementations, implementing enemy 3D models, mechanics, and gameplay balancing. The later part of this title will help you to manage secondary resources like audio, music and add 3D particles in the game to make the game more realistic. You will finally test and deploy the app on a multitude of different platforms, ready to start developing your own titles how you want!

Offensive Shellcode from Scratch. Get to grips with shellcode countermeasures and discover how to bypass them

Rishalin Pillay

Shellcoding is a technique that is executed by many red teams and used in penetration testing and real-world attacks. Books on shellcode can be complex, and writing shellcode is perceived as a kind of dark art. Offensive Shellcode from Scratch will help you to build a strong foundation of shellcode knowledge and enable you to use it with Linux and Windows.This book helps you to explore simple to more complex examples of shellcode that are used by real advanced persistent threat (APT) groups. You'll get to grips with the components of shellcode and understand which tools are used when building shellcode, along with the automated tools that exist to create shellcode payloads. As you advance through the chapters, you'll become well versed in assembly language and its various components, such as registers, flags, and data types. This shellcode book also teaches you about the compilers and decoders that are used when creating shellcode. Finally, the book takes you through various attacks that entail the use of shellcode in both Windows and Linux environments.By the end of this shellcode book, you'll have gained the knowledge needed to understand the workings of shellcode and build your own exploits by using the concepts explored.

Learning PHP 7 High Performance. Click here to enter text

Iltaf (Altaf) Hussain Gul

PHP is a great language for building web applications.It is essentially a server-side scripting language that is alsoused for general-purpose programming. PHP 7 is the latestversion, providing major backward-compatibility breaks andfocusing on high performance and speed.This fast-paced introduction to PHP 7 will improve yourproductivity and coding skills. The concepts covered willallow you, as a PHP programmer, to improve the performancestandards of your applications. We will introduce you tothe new features in PHP 7 and then will run through theconcepts of object-oriented programming (OOP) inPHP 7. Next, we will shed some light on how to improveyour PHP 7 applications' performance and databaseperformance. Through this book, you will be able to improvethe performance of your programs using the variousbenchmarking tools discussed.At the end, the book discusses some best practices in PHPprogramming to help you improve the quality of your code.

R Data Visualization Cookbook. Over 80 recipes to analyze data and create stunning visualizations with R

Atmajitsinh Gohil, Atmajitsingh Gohil

Simplifying State Management in React Native. Master state management from hooks and context through to Redux, MobX, XState, Jotai and React Query

Aleksandra Desmurs-Linczewska, Kadi Kraman

Managing state in a React Native app can be challenging as it is one of the most difficult concepts to grasp while learning React Native. This is because there are so many ways to do it, and because there is a lack of clear guidelines on what should be used and why.Simplifying State Management in React Native is a comprehensive introduction for those who are new to creating robust React Native apps that will have you up to speed in no time. You’ll get to grips with the different state management strategies and libraries available. As you progress through the chapters, you’ll try out different solutions, as well as compare and choose which solution is perfectly suited to your future projects and personal preferences. Finally, you’ll create a social media clone app using all the concepts and examples that you’ve learned in this book.By the end of this book, you’ll be able to take on existing projects that use various state management strategies and libraries, and confidently make decisions about state management.

Learn Azure Administration. Explore cloud administration concepts with networking, computing, storage, and identity management - Second Edition

Kamil Mrzygłód

Complete with the latest advancements in Azure services, this second edition of Learn Azure Administration is a comprehensive guide to scaling your cloud administration skills, offering an updated exploration of Azure fundamentals and delving into the intricacies of Azure Resource Manager and Azure Active Directory.Starting with infrastructure as code (IaC) basics, this book guides you through the seamless migration to Azure Bicep and ARM templates. From Azure virtual networks planning to deployment, you’ll get to grips with the complexities of Azure Load Balancer, virtual machines, and configuring essential virtual machine extensions. You'll handle the identity and security for users with the Microsoft Entra ID and centralize access using policies and defined roles. Further chapters strengthen your grasp of Azure Storage security, supplemented by an overview of tools such as Network Watcher.By the end of the book, you’ll have a holistic grasp of Azure administration principles to tackle contemporary challenges and expand your proficiency to administer your Azure-based cloud environment using various tools like Azure CLI, Azure PowerShell, and infrastructure as code.

Learning Angular. A practical guide to building web applications with modern Angular - Fifth Edition

Aristeidis Bampakos, Bonnie Brennan, Pablo Deeleman

Angular is an extremely fast, cross-platform JavaScript framework loved by millions. Learning Angular is a comprehensive introduction to the framework from an experienced Angular developer and Google Developer Expert. You’ll learn the Angular way of development as you build a real-world app from the ground up.Updated for Angular 19, this fifth edition tackles landmark changes in Angular after the “Angular Renaissance”. It covers app creation with standalone components, Angular Signals, and the new control flow syntax, while acknowledging differences in approach in older Angular code. You’ll also find a brand-new chapter on optimizing performance with SSR and hydration, as well as revamped content on TypeScript.Angular developers of all experience levels will benefit from this book. It is especially useful if you are new to Angular, as it will help you get to grips with the bare bones of the framework.By the end of this book, you'll be able to create Angular applications with TypeScript from scratch and apply best practices in any Angular codebase.

Extending Excel with Python and R. Unlock the potential of analytics languages for advanced data manipulation and visualization

Steven Sanderson, David Kun

– Extending Excel with Python and R is a game changer resource written by experts Steven Sanderson, the author of the healthyverse suite of R packages, and David Kun, co-founder of Functional Analytics. – This comprehensive guide transforms the way you work with spreadsheet-based data by integrating Python and R with Excel to automate tasks, execute statistical analysis, and create powerful visualizations. – Working through the chapters, you’ll find out how to perform exploratory data analysis, time series analysis, and even integrate APIs for maximum efficiency. – Both beginners and experts will get everything you need to unlock Excel's full potential and take your data analysis skills to the next level. – By the end of this book, you’ll be able to import data from Excel, manipulate it in R or Python, and perform the data analysis tasks in your preferred framework while pushing the results back to Excel for sharing with others as needed.

CryENGINE Game Programming with C++, C#, and Lua. For developers wanting to create 3D games, CryENGINE offers the intuitive route to success and this book is the complete guide to using it. Learn to use sophisticated tools and build super-real, super-addictive games

Ruan Pearce-Authers, Filip Lundgren, Ruan Pearce Authers

CryENGINE is a complete 3D game development solution that can run on multiple platforms. It is orientated around giving intuitive tools to the developer. A variety of interactive video games can be created using CryENGINE. CryENGINE is one of the most beginner-friendly engines out there to learn. If you are interested in diving into the various systems and understanding their workings in a way that is easily understood, then this book is for you.This book provides you with the knowledge to tame the powerful but hard-to-master CryENGINE. CryENGINE Game Programming with C++, C#, and Lua dives into the various systems and explains their workings in a way that can be easily understood by developers of all levels. It provides knowledge on the engine along with step-by-step exercises and detailed information on the backend implementation of the subsystems, giving you an excellent foundation to build upon when developing your own CryENGINE games.Written by developers with years of CryENGINE experience, this book breaks down the common confusion that encompasses the CryENGINE engine code, guiding you through a series of chapters aimed towards giving you the ability to create your own games in a rapid yet productive fashion. You will learn everything you need to know in order to create your own CryENGINE-powered games as well as detailed information on how to use the engine to your advantage. By teaching systems such as audio, particle effects, rendering, AI, networking, and more, we'll be exposing the most inner parts of CryENGINE that commonly confuse programmers. If you want to quickly gain the knowledge required to create your own CryENGINE game title, then this book is for you.

Learning Robotics using Python. Design, simulate, program, and prototype an autonomous mobile robot using ROS, OpenCV, PCL, and Python - Second Edition

Lentin Joseph

Robot Operating System (ROS) is one of the most popular robotics software frameworks in research and industry. It has various features for implementing different capabilities in a robot without implementing them from scratch.This book starts by showing you the fundamentals of ROS so you understand the basics of differential robots. Then, you'll learn about robot modeling and how to design and simulate it using ROS. Moving on, we'll design robot hardware and interfacing actuators. Then, you'll learn to configure and program depth sensors and LIDARs using ROS. Finally, you'll create a GUI for your robot using the Qt framework. By the end of this tutorial, you'll have a clear idea of how to integrate and assemble everything into a robot and how to bundle the software package.

Unity 2017 Game AI programming. Leverage the power of Artificial Intelligence to program smart entities for your games - Third Edition

Raymundo Barrera

Unity 2017 provides game and app developers with a variety of tools to implement Artificial Intelligence. Leveraging these tools via Unity's API or built-in features allows limitless possibilities when it comes to creating your game's worlds and characters. This third edition with Unity will help you break down Artificial Intelligence into simple concepts to give you a fundamental understanding of the topic to build upon. Using a variety of examples, the book then takes those concepts and walks you through actual implementations designed to highlight key concepts, and features related to game AI in Unity 5. Further on you will learn to distinguish the state machine pattern and implement one of your own. This is followed by learning how to implement a basic sensory system for your AI agent and coupling it with a Finite State Machine (FSM).Next you'll learn how to use Unity's built-in NavMesh feature and implement your own A* pathfinding system. You will then learn how to implement simple flocks and crowd's dynamics, key AI concepts. Moving on, you will learn how to implement a behavior tree through a game-focused example. Lastly, you'll combine fuzzy logic concepts with state machines and apply all the concepts in the book to build a simple tank game.

Blender 3D: Designing Objects. Click here to enter text

Romain Caudron, Pierre-Armand Nicq, Enrico Valenza

Blender is a powerful, stable tool with an integral workflow that will allow you to understand 3D creation with ease. With its integrated game engine and use of the Python language, it is an efficient choice for many productions, including 3D animated or live action films, architecture, research, and even game creation. Blender has an active community that contributes to expanding its functionalities. Today, it is used in many professional products and by many companies.Throughout Blender for Designers, you will create many types of complete projects using a step-by-step approach. Start by getting to know the modeling tools available in Blender to create a 3D robot toy, and discover more advanced techniques such as sculpting and retopology by creating an alien character. Move on in the second module to engage with the workflow used to create characters. Run through the process from modeling to the rendering stages, using the tools of the latest official release of Blender.The last module will teach you how to utilize the power of the Blender series to create a wide variety of materials, textures, and effects using the Cycles rendering engine. You will learn about node-based shader creation, and master Cycles through step-by-step, recipe-based advice. Start small by rendering the textures of stones and water, then scale things up to massive landscapes of mountains and oceans. 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:•Blender 3D By Example By Romain Caudron and Pierre-Armand Nicq•Blender 3D Cookbook By Enrico Valenza•Blender Cycles: Materials and Textures Cookbook - Third Edition By Enrico Valenza

Developing Modern Database Applications with PostgreSQL. Use the highly available and object-relational PostgreSQL to build scalable and reliable apps

Dr. Quan Ha Le, Marcelo Diaz

PostgreSQL is an open-source object-relational database management system (DBMS) that provides enterprise-level services, including high performance and scalability. This book is a collection of unique projects providing you with a wealth of information relating to administering, monitoring, and testing PostgreSQL. The focus of each project is on both the development and the administrative aspects of PostgreSQL.Starting by exploring development aspects such as database design and its implementation, you’ll then cover PostgreSQL administration by understanding PostgreSQL architecture, PostgreSQL performance, and high-availability clusters. Various PostgreSQL projects are explained through current technologies such as DevOps and cloud platforms using programming languages like Python and Node.js. Later, you’ll get to grips with the well-known database API tool, PostgREST, before learning how to use popular PostgreSQL database testing frameworks. The book is also packed with essential tips and tricks and common patterns for working seamlessly in a production environment. All the chapters will be explained with the help of a real-world case study on a small banking application for managing ATM locations in a city.By the end of this DBMS book, you’ll be proficient in building reliable database solutions as per your organization's needs.

Practical Generative AI with ChatGPT. Unleash your prompt engineering potential with OpenAI technologies for productivity and creativity - Second Edition

Valentina Alto

Practical Generative AI with ChatGPT is your hands-on guide to unlocking the full potential of ChatGPT. From building AI assistants and mastering prompt engineering to analyzing documents and images and even generating code, this book equips you with the skills to integrate generative AI into your workflow.Written by a technical architect specializing in AI and intelligent applications, this book provides the tools and knowledge you need to streamline tasks, enhance productivity, and create intelligent solutions. You’ll learn how to craft precise prompts, leverage ChatGPT for daily efficiency, and develop custom AI assistants tailored to your needs.The chapters show you how to use ChatGPT’s multimodal capabilities to generate images with DALL·E and even transform images into code. This ChatGPT book goes beyond basic interactions by showing you how to design custom GPTs and integrate OpenAI’s APIs into your applications. You’ll explore how businesses use OpenAI models, from building AI applications, including semantic search, to creating an AI roadmap. Each chapter is packed with practical examples, ensuring you can apply the techniques right away.By the end of this book, you’ll be well equipped to leverage OpenAI's technology for competitive advantage.

World of Warcraft Gold Strategy Guide. The comprehensive guide to making gold in World of Warcraft, packed with the latest tips and strategies, designed to make you millions

Eric Gilmour, Eric Dekker

World of Warcraft provides an immersive gaming experience with an exciting new world to explore. In this world (of Warcraft), players use gold to improve their characters and buy exciting items such as armor, vanity items, pets, mounts, and so much more. WoW gold not only helps with levelling up, but also helps the player gain respect in the WoW community.World of Warcraft Gold Strategy Guide will show you the most effective ways to make gold in World of Warcraft. It includes detailed examples and instructions that will set you up to efficiently make plentiful amounts of gold both now and in future expansions.World of Warcraft Gold Strategy Guide will arm you with all the latest strategies to become a World of Warcraft gold tycoon.Start by setting up your accounts for optimal gold making and progress through to advanced market techniques. You will learn to maintain thousands of auctions per day, master add-ons to reduce time spent making gold and increase time spent playing, and set yourself up to obtain anything you want in game.The World of Warcraft Gold Strategy Guide teaches readers how to go from rags to riches.