Itzik Ben-Gan explains key T-SQL concepts and helps you apply your knowledge with hands-on exercises. The book first introduces T-SQL's roots and underlying logic. Next, it walks you through core topics such as single-table queries, joins, subqueries, table expressions, and set operators. Then the book covers more-advanced data-query topics such as window functions, pivoting, and grouping sets. The book also explains how to modify data, work with temporal tables, and handle transactions, and provides an overview of programmable objects. Microsoft Data Platform MVP Itzik Ben-Gan shows you how to: Review core SQL concepts and its mathematical roots Create tables and enforce data integrity Perform effective single-table queries by using the SELECT statement Query multiple tables by using joins, subqueries, table expressions, and set operators Use advanced query techniques such as window functions, pivoting, and grouping sets Insert, update, delete, and merge data Use transactions in a concurrent environment Get started with programmable objects-from variables and batches to user-defined functions, stored procedures, triggers, and dynamic SQL

    But the principles and practices of software architecting–what the authors call the “science of hard decisions”–have been evolving for cloud, mobile, and other shifts. Now fully revised and updated, this book shares the knowledge and real-world perspectives that enable you to design for success–and deliver more successful solutions. In this fully updated Second Edition, you will: Learn how only a deep understanding of domain can lead to appropriate architecture Examine domain-driven design in both theory and implementation Shift your approach to code first, model later–including multilayer architecture Capture the benefits of prioritizing software maintainability See how readability, testability, and extensibility lead to code quality Take a user experience (UX) first approach, rather than designing for data Review patterns for organizing business logic Use event sourcing and CQRS together to model complex business domains more effectively Delve inside the persistence layer, including patterns and implementation.

    Along with a clear introduction to asynchronous programming, you get an in-depth look at how the async feature works and why you might want to use it in your application.Written for experienced C# programmers—yet approachable for beginners—this book is packed with code examples that you can extend for your own projects.Write your own asynchronous code, and learn how async saves you from this messy choreDiscover new performance possibilities in ASP.NET web server codeExplore how async and WinRT work together in Windows 8 applicationsLearn the importance of the await keyword in async methodsUnderstand which .NET thread is running your code—and at what points in the programUse the Task-based Asynchronous Pattern (TAP) to write asynchronous APIs in .NETTake advantage of parallel computing in modern machinesMeasure async code performance by comparing it with alternatives

    . . . Put this one on your must-have list if you have software, love software, hate programmers, or even ARE a programmer, because Mr. Platt (who teaches programming) has set out to puncture the bloated egos of all those who think that just because they can write a program, they can make it easy to use. . . . This book is funny, but it is also an important wake-up call for software companies that want to reduce the size of their customer support bills. If you were ever stuck for an answer to the question, 'Why do good programmers make such awful software?' this book holds the answer."--John McCormick, Locksmith columnist, TechRepublic.com "I must say first, I don't get many computing manuscripts that make me laugh out loud. Between the laughs, Dave Platt delivers some very interesting insight and perspective, all in a lucid and engaging style. I don't get much of that either!"--Henry Leitner, assistant dean for information technology andsenior lecturer on computer science, Harvard University "A riotous book for all of us downtrodden computer users, written in language that we understand."--Stacy Baratelli, author's barber "David's unique take on the problems that bedevil software creation made me think about the process in new ways. If you care about the quality of the software you create or use, read this book."--Dave Chappell, principal, Chappell & Associates "I began to read it in my office but stopped before I reached the bottom of the first page. I couldn't keep a grin off my face! I'll enjoy it after I go back home and find a safe place to read."--Tsukasa Makino, IT manager "David explains, in terms that my mother-in-law can understand, why the software we use today can be so frustrating, even dangerous at times, and gives us some real ideas on what we can do about it."--Jim Brosseau, Clarrus Consulting Group, Inc. A Book for Anyone Who Uses a Computer Today...and Just Wants to Scream! Today's software sucks. There's no other good way to say it. It's unsafe, allowing criminal programs to creep through the Internet wires into our very bedrooms. It's unreliable, crashing when we need it most, wiping out hours or days of work with no way to get it back. And it's hard to use, requiring large amounts of head-banging to figure out the simplest operations.It's no secret that software sucks. You know that from personal experience, whether you use computers for work or personal tasks. In this book, programming insider David Platt explains why that's the case and, more importantly, why it doesn't have to be that way. And he explains it in plain, jargon-free English that's a joy to read, using real-world examples with which you're already familiar. In the end, he suggests what you, as a typical user, without a technical background, can do about this sad state of our software--how you, as an informed consumer, don't have to take the abuse that bad software dishes out.As you might expect from the book's title, Dave's expose is laced with humor--sometimes outrageous, but always dead on. You'll laugh out loud as you recall incidents with your own software that made you cry. You'll slap your thigh with the same hand that so often pounded your computer desk and wished it was a bad programmer's face. But Dave hasn't written this book just for laughs. He's written it to give long-overdue voice to your own discovery--that software does, indeed, suck, but it shouldn't.

    This Self-Paced Training Kit is designed to help maximize your performance on 70-680, the required exam for the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS): Windows 7, Configuration certification.This 2-in-1 kit includes the official Microsoft study guide, plus practice tests on CD to help you assess your skills. It comes packed with the tools and features exam candidates want most—including in-depth, self-paced training based on final exam content; rigorous, objective-by-objective review; exam tips from expert, exam-certified authors; and customizable testing options. It also provides real-world scenarios, case study examples, and troubleshooting labs to give you the skills and expertise you can use on the job.Work at your own pace through the lessons and lab exercises. This official study guide covers installing, upgrading, and migrating to Windows 7; configuring network connectivity, applications, and devices; implementing backup and recovery; configuring User Account Control (UAC), mobility options, and new features such as DirectAccess and BranchCache; and managing system updates.Then assess yourself using the 200 practice questions on CD, featuring multiple customizable testing options to meet your specific needs. Choose timed or untimed testing mode, generate random tests, or focus on discrete objectives. You get detailed explanations for right and wrong answers—including pointers back to the book for further study. You also get an exam discount voucher—making this kit an exceptional value and a great career investment.

    It has become popular in recent years because of its simplicity, conciseness, and clarity. This book teaches functional programming as a way of thinking and problem solving, using Haskell, the most popular purely functional language. Rather than using the conventional (boring) mathematical examples commonly found in other programming language textbooks, the author uses examples drawn from multimedia applications, including graphics, animation, and computer music, thus rewarding the reader with working programs for inherently more interesting applications. Aimed at both beginning and advanced programmers, this tutorial begins with a gentle introduction to functional programming and moves rapidly on to more advanced topics. Details about progamming in Haskell are presented in boxes throughout the text so they can be easily found and referred to.

    We'll introduce you to various tips, tricks, patterns, code snippets, and techniques that we've picked up over the years.This book is great for:Beginners who have just finished the Django tutorial.Developers with intermediate knowledge of Django who want to improve their Django projects.

    sed, awk, and regular expressions allow programmers and system administrators to automate editing tasks that need to be performed on one or more files, to simplify the task of performing the same edits on multiple files, and to write conversion programs.The sed & awk Pocket Reference is a companion volume to sed & awk, Second Edition, Unix in a Nutshell, Third Edition, and Effective awk Programming, Third Edition. This new edition has expanded coverage of gawk (GNU awk), and includes sections on:An overview of sed and awk's command line syntaxAlphabetical summaries of commands, including nawk and gawkProfiling with pgawkCoprocesses and sockets with gawkInternationalization with gawkA listing of resources for sed and awk usersThis small book is a handy reference guide to the information presented in the larger volumes. It presents a concise summary of regular expressions and pattern matching, and summaries of sed and awk.Arnold Robbins, an Atlanta native now happily living in Israel, is a professional programmer and technical author and coauthor of various O'Reilly Unix titles. He has been working with Unix systems since 1980, and currently maintains gawk and its documentation.

    While learning these technologies, you will discover coding practices such as writing code that works on multiple browsers including mobile devices, how to use AJAX frameworks to add interactivity to your pages, and how to ensure your pages meet accessible requirements.Packed with real-world examples, the book not only teaches you how to write Web sites using XHTML, CSS and JavaScript, but it also teaches you design principles that help you create attractive web sites and practical advice on how to make web pages more usable. In addition, special checklists and appendices review key topics and provide helpful references that re-enforce the basics you've learned.Serves as an ideal beginners guide to writing web pages using XHTML Explains how to use CSS to make pages more appealing and add interactivity to pages using JavaScript and AJAX frameworks Share advice on design principles and how to make pages more attractive and offers practical help with usability and accessibility Features checklists and appendices that review key topics This introductory guide is essential reading for getting started with using XHTML, CSS and JavaScript to create exciting and compelling Web sites.Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

    Enjoy a journey through the eyes of a geek working at one of the most important companies in the world as he walks you through events both large and small. Just don't get caught in the Redmond reality distortion field! What others are saying about "A Microsoft Life": "Any self-respecting geek needs to read this book. Stepto provides an enjoyable and entertaining insight of life inside Microsoft." - Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb, Director of Programming for Xbox LIVE "Anyone who lived through the adolescent years of the computer revolution will alternate between laughing and crying (from laughing) at these great stories from inside the monolith. - Ken Denmead, NYT Bestselling Author, and editor of Geekdad.com

    This book covers a range of genres, including action, adventure, and puzzle games complete with professional quality sound effects and visuals. It discusses game design theory and features practical examples of how this can be applied to making games that are more fun to play. Game Maker allows games to be created using a simple drag-and-drop interface, so you don't need to have any prior coding experience. It includes an optional programming language for adding advanced features to your games, when you feel ready to do so. You can obtain more information by visiting book.gamemaker.nl. The authors include the creator of the Game Maker tool and a former professional game programmer, so you'll glean understanding from their expertise. The book also includes a DVD containing Game Maker software and all of the game projects that are created in the book—plus a host of professional-quality graphics and sound effects that you can use in your own games.

    Several things make this one stand out. Here's the most important: Linux Administration Handbook is designed for administrators working in industrial-strength production environments. It never glosses over the "subtleties" that can get you in big trouble. It doesn't stint on technical detail. It's never satisfied with restating the man pages. And it's full of war stories from folks who've been there. Evi Nemeth and her coauthors: Boy, have they ever been there. (Just ask any gray-bearded Unix sysadmin about their earlier, legendary Unix System Administration Handbook.) There's only been one downside to Linux Administration Handbook: It's been nearly five years since it was written. Well, that flaw's just been remedied. The new Second Edition has been systematically revised for the latest administration tools (think Nagios and LVM). It's carefully targeted at today's five most widely used distributions: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.3, Fedora Core 5, SUSE Linux 10.2, Debian 3.2 "Etch," and Ubuntu 6.06. The result: a book you can rely on for the next five years. Rely on to do what? Just about everything. You'll find chapters on booting and shutting down; "rootly" powers; controlling processes; the Linux filesystem; on adding new users. You'll learn the most efficient ways to perform backups. How to make sense of syslogs and log files. Everything you need to know about drivers, the kernel, networking, NFS -- and Internet services, from web hosting to email. Nemeth & Company bring their experience to bear on troubleshooting, performance optimization, print management, security, Windows interoperability, even "policies and politics." Whatever Linux books you already own, if you depend on Linux to run efficiently and reliably, you need this one, too. Bill Camarda, from the December 2006 href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/newslet... Only

    This report provides a brief yet comprehensive introduction to Python for engineers, researchers, and data scientists who are already familiar with another programming language.Author Jake VanderPlas, an interdisciplinary research director at the University of Washington, explains Python’s essential syntax and semantics, built-in data types and structures, function definitions, control flow statements, and more, using Python 3 syntax.You’ll explore:- Python syntax basics and running Python codeBasic semantics of Python variables, objects, and operators- Built-in simple types and data structures- Control flow statements for executing code blocks conditionally- Methods for creating and using reusable functionsIterators, list comprehensions, and generators- String manipulation and regular expressions- Python’s standard library and third-party modules- Python’s core data science tools- Recommended resources to help you learn more

    Updated to cover Windows Server 2012, the fifth edition of this bestselling book gives you a thorough grounding in Microsoft's network directory service by explaining concepts in an easy-to-understand, narrative style.You'll negotiate a maze of technologies for deploying a scalable and reliable AD infrastructure, with new chapters on management tools, searching the AD database, authentication and security protocols, and Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS). This book provides real-world scenarios that let you apply what you've learned--ideal whether you're a network administrator for a small business or a multinational enterprise.Upgrade Active Directory to Windows Server 2012Learn the fundamentals, including how AD stores objectsUse the AD Administrative Center and other management toolsLearn to administer AD with Windows PowerShellSearch and gather AD data, using the LDAP query syntaxUnderstand how Group Policy functionsDesign a new Active Directory forestExamine the Kerberos security protocolGet a detailed look at the AD replication process

    A practical approach to test-driven development for Ruby on Rails using RSpec and related tools.