This book not only examines content creation and the concepts behind development, but it also give readers a background on the evolution of game development and how it has become what it is today. GAME DEVELOPMENT ESSENTIALS also includes chapters on project management, development team roles and responsibilities, development cycle, marketing, maintenance, and the future of game development. With the same engaging writing style and examples that made the first two editions so popular, this new edition features all the latest games and game technology. Coverage of new game-related technology, development techniques, and the latest research in the field make this an invaluable resource for anyone entering the exciting, competitive, ever-changing world of game development.

    As an important contributor to the online documentation for MySQL, Paul uses his day-to-day experience answering questions users post on the MySQL mailing list to pinpoint the problems most users and administrators encounter. The principal MySQL developer, Monty Widenius, along with a network of his fellow developers, reviewed the manuscript, providing Paul with the kind of insight no one else could supply. Instead of merely giving you a general overview of MySQL, Paul teaches you how to make the most of its capabilities. Through two sample databases that run throughout the book, he gives you solutions to problems you'll likely face. He helps you integrate MySQL efficiently with third-party tools, such as PHP and Perl, enabling you to generate dynamic Web pages through database queries. He also teaches you to write programs that access MySQL databases.

    Completely updated to comprehensively reflect the most recent changes to the ISTQB Foundation Syllabus, the book adopts a practical, hands-on approach, covering the fundamental topics that every system and software tester should know. The authors are themselves developers of the ISTQB syllabus and are highly respected international authorities, teachers and authors within the field of software testing.

    You'll begin by getting Redis set up properly and then exploring the key-value model. Then, you'll dive into real use cases including simple caching, distributed ad targeting, and more. You'll learn how to scale Redis from small jobs to massive datasets. Experienced developers will appreciate chapters on clustering and internal scripting to make Redis easier to use.About the TechnologyWhen you need near-real-time access to a fast-moving data stream, key-value stores like Redis are the way to go. Redis expands on the key-value pattern by accepting a wide variety of data types, including hashes, strings, lists, and other structures. It provides lightning-fast operations on in-memory datasets, and also makes it easy to persist to disk on the fly. Plus, it's free and open source.About this bookRedis in Action introduces Redis and the key-value model. You'll quickly dive into real use cases including simple caching, distributed ad targeting, and more. You'll learn how to scale Redis from small jobs to massive datasets and discover how to integrate with traditional RDBMS or other NoSQL stores. Experienced developers will appreciate the in-depth chapters on clustering and internal scripting.Written for developers familiar with database concepts. No prior exposure to NoSQL database concepts nor to Redis itself is required. Appropriate for systems administrators comfortable with programming.Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF, Kindle, and ePub formats from Manning Publications.What's InsideRedis from the ground upPreprocessing real-time dataManaging in-memory datasetsPub/sub and configurationPersisting to diskAbout the AuthorDr. Josiah L. Carlson is a seasoned database professional and an active contributor to the Redis community.Table of ContentsPART 1 GETTING STARTEDGetting to know RedisAnatomy of a Redis web applicationPART 2 CORE CONCEPTSCommands in RedisKeeping data safe and ensuring performanceUsing Redis for application supportApplication components in RedisSearch-based applicationsBuilding a simple social networkPART 3 NEXT STEPSReducing memory useScaling RedisScripting Redis with Lua

    It features excellent examples and access to Addison Wesley's database Web site that includes further teaching, tutorials and many useful student resources.

    Like previous versions, this guide shows you step-by-step techniques on using MVC to best advantage, with plenty of practical tutorials to illustrate the concepts. It covers controllers, views, and models; forms and HTML helpers; data annotation and validation; membership, authorization, and security.MVC 5, the latest version of MVC, adds sophisticated features such as single page applications, mobile optimization, and adaptive rendering A team of top Microsoft MVP experts, along with visionaries in the field, provide practical advice on basic and advanced MVC topics Covers controllers, views, models, forms, data annotations, authorization and security, Ajax, routing, ASP.NET web API, dependency injection, unit testing, real-world application, and much more Professional ASP.NET MVC 5 is the comprehensive resource you need to make the best use of the updated Model-View-Controller technology.

    Advocates of NoSQL databases claim they can be used to build systems that are more performant, scale better, and are easier to program." ""NoSQL Distilled" is a concise but thorough introduction to this rapidly emerging technology. Pramod J. Sadalage and Martin Fowler explain how NoSQL databases work and the ways that they may be a superior alternative to a traditional RDBMS. The authors provide a fast-paced guide to the concepts you need to know in order to evaluate whether NoSQL databases are right for your needs and, if so, which technologies you should explore further. The first part of the book concentrates on core concepts, including schemaless data models, aggregates, new distribution models, the CAP theorem, and map-reduce. In the second part, the authors explore architectural and design issues associated with implementing NoSQL. They also present realistic use cases that demonstrate NoSQL databases at work and feature representative examples using Riak, MongoDB, Cassandra, and Neo4j. In addition, by drawing on Pramod Sadalage's pioneering work, "NoSQL Distilled" shows how to implement evolutionary design with schema migration: an essential technique for applying NoSQL databases. The book concludes by describing how NoSQL is ushering in a new age of Polyglot Persistence, where multiple data-storage worlds coexist, and architects can choose the technology best optimized for each type of data access.

    Cassandra: The Definitive Guide provides the technical details and practical examples you need to assess this database management system and put it to work in a production environment.Author Eben Hewitt demonstrates the advantages of Cassandra's nonrelational design, and pays special attention to data modeling. If you're a developer, DBA, application architect, or manager looking to solve a database scaling issue or future-proof your application, this guide shows you how to harness Cassandra's speed and flexibility.Understand the tenets of Cassandra's column-oriented structureLearn how to write, update, and read Cassandra dataDiscover how to add or remove nodes from the cluster as your application requiresExamine a working application that translates from a relational model to Cassandra's data modelUse examples for writing clients in Java, Python, and C#Use the JMX interface to monitor a cluster's usage, memory patterns, and moreTune memory settings, data storage, and caching for better performance

    Coverage Includes: Shows administrators how to use VMware to realize significant savings in hardware costs while still providing adequate "servers" for their users Demonstrates how to partition a physical server into several virtual machines, reducing the overall server footprint within the operations center Explains how VMware subsumes a network to centralize and simplify its management, thus alleviating the effects of "virtual server sprawl" Now that virtualization is a key cost-saving strategy, Mastering VMware vSphere 4 is the strategic guide you need to maximize the opportunities.

    Designed for experienced developers ready to advance their status, Exam Ref focuses on the critical-thinking and decision-making acumen needed for success at the Microsoft Specialist level.Focus on the expertise measured by these objectives:Design the application architectureDesign the user experienceDevelop the user experienceTroubleshoot and debug web applicationsDesign and implement securityThis Microsoft Exam Ref:Organizes its coverage by exam objectives.Features strategic, what-if scenarios to challenge you.Includes a 15% exam discount from Microsoft. (Limited time offer)

    On the other hand, if you're not well versed in the theory, you can fall into several traps. In SQL and Relational Theory, author C.J. Date demonstrates how you can apply relational theory directly to your use of SQL. With numerous examples and clear explanations of the reasoning behind them, you'll learn how to deal with common SQL dilemmas, such as:Should database access granted be through views instead of base tables? Nulls in your database are causing you to get wrong answers. Why? What can you do about it? Could you write an SQL query to find employees who have never been in the same department for more than six months at a time? SQL supports "quantified comparisons," but they're better avoided. Why? How do you avoid them? Constraints are crucially important, but most SQL products don't support them properly. What can you do to resolve this situation? Database theory and practice have evolved since Edgar Codd originally defined the relational model back in 1969. Independent of any SQL products, SQL and Relational Theory draws on decades of research to present the most up-to-date treatment of the material available anywhere. Anyone with a modest to advanced background in SQL will benefit from the many insights in this book.

    This title also teaches you how to use the HTML5 and CSS3 features alongside the earlier standards.

    Author John Myles White shows you how this powerful class of algorithms can help you boost website traffic, convert visitors to customers, and increase many other measures of success.This is the first developer-focused book on bandit algorithms, which were previously described only in research papers. You’ll quickly learn the benefits of several simple algorithms—including the epsilon-Greedy, Softmax, and Upper Confidence Bound (UCB) algorithms—by working through code examples written in Python, which you can easily adapt for deployment on your own website.Learn the basics of A/B testing—and recognize when it’s better to use bandit algorithmsDevelop a unit testing framework for debugging bandit algorithmsGet additional code examples written in Julia, Ruby, and JavaScript with supplemental online materials

    Today, Rails developers and architects need better ways to interface with legacy systems, move into the cloud, and scale to handle higher volumes and greater complexity. In Service-Oriented Design with Ruby and Rails Paul Dix introduces a powerful, services-based design approach geared toward overcoming all these challenges. Using Dix's techniques, readers can leverage the full benefits of both Ruby and Rails, while overcoming the difficulties of working with larger codebases and teams. Dix demonstrates how to integrate multiple components within an enterprise application stack; create services that can easily grow and connect; and design systems that are easier to maintain and upgrade. Key concepts are explained with detailed Ruby code built using open source libraries such as ActiveRecord, Sinatra, Nokogiri, and Typhoeus. The book concludes with coverage of security, scaling, messaging, and interfacing with third-party services. Service-Oriented Design with Ruby and Rails will help you Build highly scalable, Ruby-based service architectures that operate smoothly in the cloud or with legacy systems Scale Rails systems to handle more requests, larger development teams, and more complex code bases Master new best practices for designing and creating services in Ruby Use Ruby to glue together services written in any language Use Ruby libraries to build and consume RESTful Web services Use Ruby JSON parsers to quickly represent resources from HTTP services Write lightweight, well-designed API wrappers around internal or external services Discover powerful non-Rails frameworks that simplify Ruby service implementation Implement standards-based enterprise messaging with Advanced Message Queuing Protocol (AMQP) Optimize performance with load balancing and caching Provide for security and authentication

    As a modern application developer you need to understand the emerging field of data management, both RDBMS and NoSQL. Seven Databases in Seven Weeks takes you on a tour of some of the hottest open source databases today. In the tradition of Bruce A. Tate's Seven Languages in Seven Weeks, this book goes beyond your basic tutorial to explore the essential concepts at the core each technology. Redis, Neo4J, CouchDB, MongoDB, HBase, Riak and Postgres. With each database, you'll tackle a real-world data problem that highlights the concepts and features that make it shine. You'll explore the five data models employed by these databases-relational, key/value, columnar, document and graph-and which kinds of problems are best suited to each. You'll learn how MongoDB and CouchDB are strikingly different, and discover the Dynamo heritage at the heart of Riak. Make your applications faster with Redis and more connected with Neo4J. Use MapReduce to solve Big Data problems. Build clusters of servers using scalable services like Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2). Discover the CAP theorem and its implications for your distributed data. Understand the tradeoffs between consistency and availability, and when you can use them to your advantage. Use multiple databases in concert to create a platform that's more than the sum of its parts, or find one that meets all your needs at once.Seven Databases in Seven Weeks will take you on a deep dive into each of the databases, their strengths and weaknesses, and how to choose the ones that fit your needs.What You Need: To get the most of of this book you'll have to follow along, and that means you'll need a *nix shell (Mac OSX or Linux preferred, Windows users will need Cygwin), and Java 6 (or greater) and Ruby 1.8.7 (or greater). Each chapter will list the downloads required for that database.