Programming Books | Windows Programming Books

Lua is the language of choice for anyone who needs a scripting language that is simple, efficient, extensible, portable, and free. Currently, Lua is being used in areas ranging from embedded systems to Web development and is widely spread in the game industry, where knowledge of Lua is an indisputable asset. "Programming in Lua" is the official book about the language, giving a solid base for any programmer who wants to use Lua. Authored by Roberto Ierusalimschy, the chief architect of the language, it covers all aspects of Lua 5---from the basics to its API with C---explaining how to make good use of its features and giving numerous code examples. "Programming in Lua" is targeted at people with some programming background, but does not assume any prior knowledge about Lua or other scripting languages. This Second Edition updates the text to Lua 5.1 and brings substantial new material, including numerous new examples, a detailed explanation of the new module system, and two new chapters centered on multiple states and garbage collection.

Take Razor for a test drive and discover first hand how this scripting syntax simplifies the way you create dynamic, data-driven websites. With this concise guide, you’ll work with Razor syntax by building example websites with Microsoft WebMatrix and ASP.NET MVC. You'll quickly learn how Razor lets you combine code and content in a fluid and expressive manner on Windows-based servers. Programming Razor also explores components of the Razor API, and shows you how Razor templates are turned into rendered HTML. By the end of this book, you'll be able to create Razor-based websites with custom extensions that meet the specific needs of your projects.Use Razor with Microsoft WebMatrix to build a working blog, complete with data Organize and manage your web application, using Razor features for layouts, sections, and partial views Create clean and effective ASP.NET MVC views with the Razor View Engine Learn how the Razor API interprets Razor templates and turns them into executable .NET code Implement advanced techniques for exposing reusable code and sharing ASP.NET MVC views across projects

While there are several books on programming for Mac OS X, Advanced Mac OS X Programming: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide is the only one that contains explanations of how to leverage the powerful underlying technologies. This book gets down to the real nitty-gritty. The third edition is updated for Mac OS X 10.5 and 10.6 and covers new technologies like DTrace, Instruments, Grand Central Dispatch, blocks, and NSOperation.

Program Kinect to do awesome things using a unique selection of open source software! The Kinect motion-sensing device for the Xbox 360 and Windows became the world's fastest-selling consumer electronics device when it was released (8 million sold in its first 60 days) and won prestigious awards, such as "Gaming Gadget of the Year." Now Kinect Open Source Programming Secrets lets YOU harness the Kinect's powerful sensing capabilities for gaming, science, multimedia projects, and a mind-boggling array of other applications on platforms running Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. Dr. Andrew Davison, a user interface programming expert, delivers exclusive coverage of how to program the Kinect sensor with the Java wrappers for OpenNI and NITE, which are APIs created by PrimeSense, the primary developers of the Kinect's technology. Beginning with the basics--depth imaging, 3D point clouds, skeletal tracking, and hand gestures--the book examines many other topics, including Kinect gaming, FAAST-style gestures that aren't part of standard NITE, motion detection using OpenCV, how to create gesture-driven GUIs, accessing the Kinect's motor and accelerometer, and other tips and techniques. Inside: Free open source APIs to let you develop amazing Kinect hacks for commercial or private use Full coverage of depth detection, camera, and infrared imaging point clouds; Kinect gaming; 3D programming; gesture-based GUIs, and more Online access to detailed code examples on the author's web site, plus bonus chapters on speech recognition, beamforming, and other exotica From the Author Why Buy This Book? I can suggest four reasons for buying this book: It offers a unique choice of Kinect programming tools. It explains the official Java wrappers for those tools. It covers topics not found elsewhere. It provides depth, but with brevity. Unique Programming Tools This is the only book on programming the Kinect using the OpenNI library, NITE, and Java (as of April 2012, when this book went to press). Official Java Wrappers This is the only book that explains the official Java wrappers for OpenNI and NITE (again, as of April 2012). By “official,” I mean that these bindings were developed by PrimeSense. Obvious advantages of Java include object-orientation, cross-platform support, availability for free, and many people (including you, probably) knowing how to program with it. Most important, programming in Java gives you access to a massive number of libraries—for graphics, networking, and beyond—that can be linked to the Kinect without much effort. For example, I’ll demonstrate how to use the Java 3D graphics library and the Java binding for the OpenCV computer vision package. The main drawback of using the PrimeSense Java wrappers is their lack of documentation. As I explain in Chapter 1, I had to decompile the libraries’ JAR files, and work out the correspondences between the Java source and the somewhat better documented C++ OpenNI/NITE APIs. (This is why including Secrets in the book’s title isn’t too excessive.) A Wide Range of Topics This book covers programming topics not found elsewhere. I start off with the basics, of course, with chapters on depth, infrared, and RGB imaging, point clouds, skeletal user tracking, hand tracking, and gesture support. Moving beyond that, I cover several novel and unusual features, including the following: Kinect gaming based around a version of the classic Breakout video game. Controls for the Kinect motor, LED, and accelerometer, which are not part of the standard OpenNI API. In fact, their absence is often held up as a serious drawback of the API. It’s actually quite easy to add these capabilities using a custom-built USB driver. 3D graphics programming in the point cloud and skeletal tracking examples, using Java 3D. A computer vision example that demonstrates how to link the Kinect to the popular (and powerful) OpenCV library. The creation of new body gestures (inspired by the FAAST system), which are not part of the limited NITE repertoire. A new type of GUI component controlled by hand gesturing, illustrated with three examples: a button, dial, and slider. These components are controlled without the help of mouse or keyboard. Depth with Brevity This book describes a lot of complicated code but, unlike some rather hefty programming tomes, you won’t find all the code tediously printed on these pages. Instead, you can download it from the book’s website. In addition, I’ve been adding supplementary chapters to the website, including ones discussing speech recognition and the Kinect microphone array.

Learn how to create great games for Android phonesAndroid phones are rapidly gaining market share, nudging the iPhone out of the top spot. Games are the most frequently downloaded apps in the Android market, and users are willing to pay for them. Game programming can be challenging, but this step-by-step guide explains the process in easily understood terms. A companion Web site offers all the programming examples for download.Presents tricky game programming topics--animation, battery conservation, touch screen input, and adaptive interface issues--in the straightforward, easy-to-follow For Dummies fashionExplains how to avoid pitfalls and create fun games based on best programming practices for mobile devicesA companion web site includes all programming examplesIf you have some programming knowledge, Android Game Programming For Dummies will have you creating cool games for the Android platform quickly and easily.

Get a detailed look at the internal architecture of T-SQL with this comprehensive programming reference. Database developers and administrators get best practices, expert techniques, and code samples to master the intricacies of this programming language—solving complex problems with real-world solutions.Discover how to: Work with T-SQL and CLR user-defined functions, stored procedures, and triggers. Handle transactions, concurrency, and error handling. Efficiently use temporary objects, including temporary tables, table variables, and table expressions. Evaluate when to use set-based programming techniques and when to use cursors. Work with dynamic SQL in an efficient and secure manner. Treat date- and time-related data in a robust manner. Develop CLR user-defined types and learn about temporal support in the relational model. Use XML and XQuery and implement a dynamic schema solution. Work with spatial data using the new geometry and geography types and spatial indexes. Track access and changes to data using extended events, SQL Server Audit, change tracking, and change data capture. Use Service Broker for controlled asynchronous processing in database applications. All the book’s code samples will be available for download from the companion Web site.

One of the most popular beginning programming books, now fully updated Java is a popular language for beginning programmers, and earlier editions of this fun and friendly guide have helped thousands get started. Now fully revised to cover recent updates for Java 7.0, Beginning Programming with Java For Dummies, 3rd Edition is certain to put more first-time programmers and Java beginners on the road to Java mastery.Explores what goes into creating a program, putting the pieces together, dealing with standard programming challenges, debugging, and making the program work Offers new options for tools and techniques used in Java developmentProvides valuable information and examples for the would-be programmer with no Java experienceAll examples are updated to reflect the latest changes in Java 7.0Beginning Programming with Java For Dummies, 3rd Edition offers an easy-to-understand introduction to programming through the popular, versatile Java 7.0 language.

Get a rapid introduction to iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch programming. With this easy-to-follow guide, you’ll learn the steps necessary for developing your first marketable iOS application, from opening Xcode to submitting your product to the App Store. Whether you’re a developer new to Mac programming or an experienced Mac developer ready to tackle iOS, this is your book.You’ll learn about Objective-C and the core frameworks hands-on by writing iOS applications that use them, giving you the basic skills for building your own applications independently. Packed with code samples, this book is refreshed and updated for iOS 5 and Xcode 4. Discover the advantages of building native iOS apps Get started with Objective-C and the Cocoa Touch frameworks Dive deep into the table view classes for building user interfaces Handle data input, parse XML and JSON documents, and store data on SQLite Use iOS sensors, including the accelerometer, magnetometer, camera, and GPS Build apps that use the Core Location and MapKit frameworks Integrate Apple’s iCloud service into your applications

When you master Joomla! programming, you can customize websites in ways that simply aren’t possible by tweaking parameters or installing someone else’s extensions. Now, there’s an authoritative, “soup-to-nuts” programming guide for every Joomla! user: from beginners with no Joomla! development experience to long-time coders seeking a quick start with Joomla!’s powerful new versions, 1.6, 1.7, and 2.5.   Joomla!™ Programming presents proven best practices for getting the job done right. Written by Mark Dexter and Joomla! design architect Louis Landry (who wrote much of the new Joomla! framework), the text is packed with detailed examples and sample code, in-depth reference-style explanations available nowhere else, and fascinating sidebars revealing why Joomla! works the way it does.   Both a tutorial and reference, this title brings together step-by-step instructions for everything from simple tasks (such as template overrides) to cutting-edge techniques involving components, MVC, and the Joomla! framework. You’ll learn how to  View Joomla! from a programmer’s perspective Extend Joomla! with layout overrides, plugins, and modules Take full advantage of Joomla!’s improved new MVC implementation Build front-end and back-end components, from start to finish Secure your websites with Joomla!’s powerful, flexible new Access Control Lists Work with databases and use the new JDatabaseQuery to write complex queries Program Joomla! with JavaScript via the lightweight MooTools framework Develop custom category structures for your own websites and extensions Enable one-click updates for your own custom extensions Use the Joomla! platform as an application framework  All example code, updates, and more information on Joomla! programming are available at the companion website, joomlaprogrammingbook.com.

Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) (formerly known by its code name "Avalon") is a brand-new presentation framework for Windows XP and Windows Vista, the next version of the Windows client operating system. For developers, WPF is a cornucopia of new technologies, including a new graphics engine that supports 3-D graphics, animation, and more; an XML-based markup language (XAML) for declaring the structure of your Windows UI; and a radical new model for controls. Programming Windows Presentation Foundation, authored by Microsoft Software Legend Chris Sells and WPF guru Ian Griffiths, is the book you need to get up to speed on WPF. By page two, you'll have written your first WPF application, and by the end of Chapter 1, "Hello WPF," you'll have completed a rapid tour of the framework and its major elements. These include the XAML markup language and the mapping of XAML markup to WinFX code; the WPF content model; layout; controls, styles, and templates; graphics and animation; and, finally, deployment. Programming Windows Presentation Foundation features: Scores of C# and XAML examples that show you what it takes to get a WPF application up and running, from a simple "Hello, Avalon" program to a tic-tac-toe game Insightful discussions of the powerful new programming styles that WPF brings to Windows development, especially its new model for controls A color insert to better illustrate WPF support for 3-D, color, and other graphics effects A tutorial on XAML, the new HTML-like markup language for declaring Windows UI An explanation and comparison of the features that support interoperability with Windows Forms and other Windows legacy applications The next generation of Windows applications is going to blaze a trail into the unknown. WPF represents the best of the control-based Windows world and the content-based web world; it's an engine just itching to be taken for a spin. Inside, you'll find the keys to the ignition. Updated samples and change notes for the move from the February CTP to Beta 2 are now available from the example site: http://www.sellsbrothers.com/writing/​avbook/