Getting Started with NativeScript. Explore the possibility of building truly native, cross-platform mobile applications using your JavaScript skill—NativeScript!

Nathanael J. Anderson

NativeScript allows you to build a fast cross-platform application that has a native UI. NativeScript is a true cross-platform framework that generates native speed applications using the native components of the host platform, all using JavaScript. Although NativeScript allows you to build your application in JavaScript, you have full access to the host OS from your code, allowing you to easily tweak or use new platform features instantly at native code speeds.Whether you have already developed multiple applications or zero applications, this book will help you to develop your next application in a cross-platform framework quickly, saving you a massive amount of time and money.This book concisely shows you NativeScript’s built-in framework that allows you to rapidly develop a fully-working compiled cross-platform application in just a few chapters. It starts by laying the foundation of NativeScript and working through the fundamentals to create a basic shell of the application. Moving on, you’ll see how to build a full-fledged application step by step. We’ll show you how to use plugins, and how to communicate with the native OS libraries easily so that you can customize your application as if your app was created in Java or Objective C. We then deal with the issues that arise from being cross platform and compensate for the different screen sizes, screen resolutions, and device abilities. Finally, we progress to testing and deploying your app.

Learning Highcharts 4. Design eye-catching and interactive JavaScript charts for your web page with Highcharts, one of the leading tools in web charting

Joe Kuan

Hands-On Docker for Microservices with Python. Design, deploy, and operate a complex system with multiple microservices using Docker and Kubernetes

Jaime Buelta

Microservices architecture helps create complex systems with multiple, interconnected services that can be maintained by independent teams working in parallel. This book guides you on how to develop these complex systems with the help of containers.You’ll start by learning to design an efficient strategy for migrating a legacy monolithic system to microservices. You’ll build a RESTful microservice with Python and learn how to encapsulate the code for the services into a container using Docker. While developing the services, you’ll understand how to use tools such as GitHub and Travis CI to ensure continuous delivery (CD) and continuous integration (CI). As the systems become complex and grow in size, you’ll be introduced to Kubernetes and explore how to orchestrate a system of containers while managing multiple services. Next, you’ll configure Kubernetes clusters for production-ready environments and secure them for reliable deployments. In the concluding chapters, you’ll learn how to detect and debug critical problems with the help of logs and metrics. Finally, you’ll discover a variety of strategies for working with multiple teams dealing with different microservices for effective collaboration.By the end of this book, you’ll be able to build production-grade microservices as well as orchestrate a complex system of services using containers.

Reimagining Characters with Unreal Engine's MetaHuman Creator. Elevate your films with cinema-quality character designs and motion capture animation

Brian Rossney, Ciaran Kavanagh

MetaHuman Creator (MHC) is an online, user-friendly 3D design tool for creating highly realistic digital humans that can be animated within Unreal Engine (UE) and enhanced with motion capture technology. This means that filmmakers and game developers now have access to a high quality, affordable solution that was previously only available to specialist studios.This book will focus on using UE5 and MHC from a filmmaker angle. Firstly, you’ll understand how to use the online MHC to create a digital character, changing its facial structure, body type, and clothing. After that, you’ll learn all the necessary steps to bring the character into UE5 and set it up for animation. Then, using an iPhone and a webcam to capture face and body movements, you’ll mix these motion capture files, refine the animations using the MetaHuman Control Rig, and save these takes to be reused and edited again within the Level Sequencer. On top of that, you’ll learn how to create a rendered video file for film production using both the Level Sequencer and a VR Cinematic Camera. By the end of this book, you’ll have created your own MetaHuman character, as well as face and body motion capture data, and learned the necessary skills to give your future projects further realism and creative control.

Microsoft Windows Workflow Foundation 4.0 Cookbook. Get the flexibility of Windows Workflow Foundation working for you. Based on a cookbook approach, this guide takes you through all the essential concepts with recipes you can apply or adapt to your own specific needs

Andrew Zhu

Windows Workflow Foundation 4.0 (WF) is a significant part of .NET Framework 4.0. WF makes workflow technology available to every single programmer that uses the .NET Framework 4.0. It is easy to create long running and distributed programs using WF with the right knowledge. With this book, you will discover that working with workflows is easy.This book provides both step-by-step recipes and relevant background information. It covers all the important aspects of Windows Workflow Foundation 4.0. The best thing about this book is that all recipes are based on real-world experiences of Andrew Zhu. Andrew is a global WF and BizTalk technology support engineer for Microsoft. This book covers everything you need to know, when working with workflows. Get to grips with flow control activities, messaging, and transaction processes with easy to understand steps followed by explanations. You will quickly learn to use collection and custom WF activities and WF services.You will see recipes that illustrate integration of Windows Workflow with other applications such as WPF, ASP.NET, WCF service.Lastly, you will discover how easily you can customize W4 Designer with WF rule engine and others.

Data Cleaning with Power BI. The definitive guide to transforming dirty data into actionable insights

Gus Frazer

Microsoft Power BI offers a range of powerful data cleaning and preparation options through tools such as DAX, Power Query, and the M language. However, despite its user-friendly interface, mastering it can be challenging. Whether you're a seasoned analyst or a novice exploring the potential of Power BI, this comprehensive guide equips you with techniques to transform raw data into a reliable foundation for insightful analysis and visualization.This book serves as a comprehensive guide to data cleaning, starting with data quality, common data challenges, and best practices for handling data. You’ll learn how to import and clean data with Query Editor and transform data using the M query language. As you advance, you’ll explore Power BI’s data modeling capabilities for efficient cleaning and establishing relationships. Later chapters cover best practices for using Power Automate for data cleaning and task automation. Finally, you’ll discover how OpenAI and ChatGPT can make data cleaning in Power BI easier.By the end of the book, you will have a comprehensive understanding of data cleaning concepts, techniques, and how to use Power BI and its tools for effective data preparation.

Power Platform and the AI Revolution. Explore modern AI services to develop apps, bots, and automation patterns to enhance customer experiences

Aaron Guilmette

In this AI era, employing leading machine learning and AI models such as ChatGPT for responding to customer feedback and prototyping applications is crucial to drive business success in the competitive market. This book is an indispensable guide to integrating cutting-edge technology into business operations and leveraging AI to analyze sentiment at scale, helping free up valuable time to enhance customer relationships.Immerse yourself in the future of AI-enabled application development by working with Power Automate, Power Apps, and the new Copilot Studio. With this book, you’ll learn foundational AI concepts as you explore the extensive capabilities of the low-code Power Platform. You’ll see how Microsoft's advanced machine learning technologies can streamline common business tasks such as extracting key data elements from customer documents, reviewing customer emails, and validating passports and drivers’ licenses. The book also guides you in harnessing the power of generative AI to expedite tasks like creating executive summaries, building presentations, and analyzing resumes. You’ll build apps using natural language prompting and see how ChatGPT can be used to power chatbots in your organization.By the end of this book, you’ll have charted your path to developing your own reusable AI automation patterns to propel your business operations into the future.

Kinect in Motion - Audio and Visual Tracking by Example. Start building for the Kinect today by capturing gestures, movements, and spoken voice commands

massimo fascinari, Clemente Giorio

Kinect is a motion-sensing input device by Microsoft for the Xbox 360 video game console and Windows PCs. It provides capabilities to enhance human-machine interaction along with a zero-to-hero journey to engage the user in a multimodal interface dialog with your software solution.Kinect in Motion - Audio and Visual Tracking by Example guides you in developing more than five models you can use to capture gestures, movements, and voice spoken commands. The examples and the theory discussed provide you with the knowledge to let the user become a part of your application.Kinect in Motion - Audio and Visual Tracking by Example is a compact reference on how to master color, depth, skeleton, and audio data streams handled by Kinect for Windows.Starting with an introduction to Kinect and its characteristics, you will first be shown how to master the color data stream with no more than one page of lines of code. Learn how to manage the depth information and map them against the color ones. You will then learn how to define and manage gestures that enable the user to instruct the application simply by moving arms or any other type of natural action. Finally you will complete your journey through a multimodal interface, combining gestures with audio.The book will lead you through many detailed, real-world examples, and even guide you on how to test your application.