Hands-On

Get Started Fast with Objective-C 2.0 Programming for OS X, iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad

 

If you want to learn Objective-C 2.0 to write programs for Mac OS X, iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you’ve come to the right place! Concise, readable, and friendly, Learning Objective-C 2.0 is the perfect beginner’s guide to the latest version of Objective-C.

 

Longtime Mac OS X and iPhone developer Robert Clair covers everything from the absolute basics to Objective-C 2.0’s newest innovations. Clair begins with a practical refresher on C and object-oriented programming and walks you through creating your first Objective-C program with Xcode. Next, you’ll master each core language feature, from objects and classes to messaging, frameworks, and protocols. Every concept is illustrated with simple examples, and many chapters contain hands-on practice exercises.

 

Throughout, Learning Objective-C 2.0 focuses on the features, concepts, and techniques that matter most day to day. The result is an outstanding first book for everyone who wants to begin programming for iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, or Mac OS X.

 

COVERAGE INCLUDES

 

• Understanding methods, messages, and the Objective-C messaging system
• Defining classes, creating object instances, and using class objects
• Using categories to extend classes without subclassing
• Simplifying development with Objective-C 2.0 declared properties
• Using protocols to emphasize behavior rather than class
• Working with common Foundation classes for strings, arrays, dictionaries, sets, and number objects
• Using Objective-C control structures, including Objective-C 2.0’s new fast enumeration construct
• Understanding application security and hiding the declaration of methods that should stay private
• Using the new blocks feature provided in Objective-C 2.0

Multi-core processors are no longer the future of computing-they are the present day reality. A typical mass-produced CPU features multiple processor cores, while a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) may have hundreds or even thousands of cores. With the rise of multi-core architectures has come the need to teach advanced programmers a new and essential skill: how to program massively parallel processors.

Programming Massively Parallel Processors: A Hands-on Approach shows both student and professional alike the basic concepts of parallel programming and GPU architecture. Various techniques for constructing parallel programs are explored in detail. Case studies demonstrate the development process, which begins with computational thinking and ends with effective and efficient parallel programs.

• Teaches computational thinking and problem-solving techniques that facilitate high-performance parallel computing.




• Utilizes CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture), NVIDIA's software development tool created specifically for massively parallel environments.




• Shows you how to achieve both high-performance and high-reliability using the CUDA programming model as well as OpenCL.

Unless you are working at a very advanced level, this is the only SQL book you will ever need. The authors have taken the mystery out of complex queries and explained principles and techniques with such clarity that a "Mere Mortal" will indeed be empowered to perform the superhuman. Do not walk past this book!
--Graham Mandeno, Database Consultant

SQL Queries for Mere Mortals provides a step-by-step, easy-to-read introduction to writing SQL queries. It includes hundreds of examples with detailed explanations. This book provides the tools you need to understand, modify, and create SQL queries
--Keith W. Hare, Convenor, ISO/IEC JTC1 SC32 WG3--the International SQL Standards Committee

I learned SQL primarily from the first edition of this book, and I am pleased to see a second edition of this book so that others can continue to benefit from its organized presentation of the language. Starting from how to design your tables so that SQL can be effective (a common problem for database beginners), and then continuing through the various aspects of SQL construction and capabilities, the reader can become a moderate expert upon completing the book and its samples. Learning how to convert a question in English into a meaningful SQL statement will greatly facilitate your mastery of the language. Numerous examples from real life will help you visualize how to use SQL to answer the questions about the data in your database. Just one of the "watch out for this trap" items will save you more than the cost of the book when you avoid that problem when writing your queries. I highly recommend this book if you want to tap the full potential of your database.
--Kenneth D. Snell, Ph.D., Database Designer/Programmer

I don't think they do this in public schools any more, and it is a shame, but do you remember in the seventh and eighth grades when you learned to diagram a sentence? Those of you who do may no longer remember how you did it, but all of you do write better sentences because of it. John Viescas and Mike Hernandez must have remembered because they take everyday English queries and literally translate them into SQL. This is an important book for all database designers. It takes the complexity of mathematical Set Theory and of First Order Predicate Logic, as outlined in E. F. Codd's original treatise on relational database design, and makes it easy for anyone to understand. If you want an elementary- through intermediate-level course on SQL, this is the one book that is a requirement, no matter how many others you buy.
--Arvin Meyer, MCP, MVP

Even in this day of wizards and code generators, successful database developers still require a sound knowledge of Structured Query Language (SQL, the standard language for communicating with most database systems). In this book, John and Mike do a marvelous job of making what's usually a dry and difficult subject come alive, presenting the material with humor in a logical manner, with plenty of relevant examples. I would say that this book should feature prominently in the collection on the bookshelf of all serious developers, except that I'm sure it'll get so much use that it won't spend much time on the shelf!
-- Doug Steele, Microsoft Access Developer and author

Over the last several decades, SQL has evolved from a language known only to computer specialists to a widely used international standard of the computer industry. The number of new applications deployed each year using SQL now totals in the millions. If you are accessing corporate information from the Internet or from an internal network, you are probably using SQL. This new edition of SQL Queries for Mere Mortals helps new users learn the foundations of SQL queries, and is an essential reference guide for intermediate and advanced users.

The accompanying CD contains five sample databases used for the example queries throughout the book in four different formats: Microsoft SQL Server 2000 and later, Microsoft Access 2000 and later, MySQL version 5.0 and later, and SQL scripts that can be used with most other implementations of the language.

Economic pressures have forced IT executives to demonstrate the immediate and calculable ROI of new technology deployments. Unfortunately, existing IT service delivery often drifts without serious thought as to how process improvements could lead to higher performance and customer satisfaction. The Hands-On Project Office: Guaranteeing ROI and On-Time Delivery offers the proven processes, techniques, and tools that IT managers can use to immediately improve the delivery of IT products and services. This compendium of best practices and practical recommendations details simple, deployable frameworks, practical tools, and time-tested best practices for successful IT service and project delivery management. Recognizing how your tech staff can do more with less, this practitioner's handbook describes how you can better coordinate work efforts, hold project teams accountable, and communicate and demonstrate the importance of IT services to your company as a whole. By explaining how to streamline the functions that capture and report information about IT delivery, this volume clarifies roles, responsibilities, customer expectations, and performance measures, resulting in improved service and efficiency.Emphasizing the establishment of processes that result in repeatable success, the book provides quickly implementable solutions for IT personnel faced with the daily management of large, complex systems.

“This book takes the somewhat daunting process of database design and breaks it into completely manageable and understandable components. Mike’s approach whilst simple is completely professional, and I can recommend this book to any novice database designer.”

     –Sandra Barker, Lecturer, University of South Australia, Australia

“Databases are a critical infrastructure technology for information systems and today’s business. Mike Hernandez has written a literate explanation of database technology–a topic that is intricate and often obscure. If you design databases yourself, this book will educate you about pitfalls and show you what to do. If you purchase products that use a database, the book explains the technology so that you can understand what the vendor is doing and assess their products better.”

     –Michael Blaha, consultant and trainer, author of A Manager’s Guide to Database Technology

“If you told me that Mike Hernandez could improve on the first edition of Database Design for Mere Mortals I wouldn’t have believed you, but he did! The second edition is packed with more real-world examples, detailed explanations, and even includes database-design tools on the CD-ROM! This is a must-read for anyone who is even remotely interested in relational database design, from the individual who is called upon occasionally to create a useful tool at work, to the seasoned professional who wants to brush up on the fundamentals. Simply put, if you want to do it right, read this book!”

     –Matt Greer, Process Control Development, The Dow Chemical Company

“Mike’s approach to database design is totally common-sense based, yet he’s adhered to all the rules of good relational database design. I use Mike’s books in my starter database-design class, and I recommend his books to anyone who’s interested in learning how to design databases or how to write SQL queries.”

     –Michelle Poolet, President, MVDS, Inc.

“Slapping together sophisticated applications with poorly designed data will hurt you just as much now as when Mike wrote his first edition, perhaps even more. Whether you’re just getting started developing with data or are a seasoned pro; whether you've read Mike’s previous book or this is your first; whether you're happier letting someone else design your data or you love doing it yourself–this is the book for you. Mike’s ability to explain these concepts in a way that’s not only clear, but fun, continues to amaze me.”

     –From the Foreword by Ken Getz, MCW Technologies, coauthor ASP.NET Developer's JumpStart

“The first edition of Mike Hernandez’s book Database Design for Mere Mortals was one of the few books that survived the cut when I moved my office to smaller quarters. The second edition expands and improves on the original in so many ways. It is not only a good, clear read, but contains a remarkable quantity of clear, concise thinking on a very complex subject. It’s a must for anyone interested in the subject of database design.”

     –Malcolm C. Rubel, Performance Dynamics Associates

“Mike’s excellent guide to relational database design deserves a second edition. His book is an essential tool for fledgling Microsoft Access and other desktop database developers, as well as for client/server pros. I recommend it highly to all my readers.”

     –Roger Jennings, author of Special Edition Using Access 2002

“There are no silver bullets! Database technology has advanced dramatically, the newest crop of database servers perform operations faster than anyone could have imagined six years ago, but none of these technological advances will help fix a bad database design, or capture data that you forgot to include! Database Design for Mere Mortals™, Second Edition, helps you design your database right in the first place!”

     –Matt Nunn, Product Manager, SQL Server, Microsoft Corporation

“When my brother started his professional career as a developer, I gave him Mike’s book to help him understand database concepts and make real-world application of database technology. When I need a refresher on the finer points of database design, this is the book I pick up. I do not think that there is a better testimony to the value of a book than that it gets used. For this reason I have wholeheartedly recommended to my peers and students that they utilize this book in their day-to-day development tasks.”

     –Chris Kunicki, Senior Consultant, OfficeZealot.com

“Mike has always had an incredible knack for taking the most complex topics, breaking them down, and explaining them so that anyone can ‘get it.’ He has honed and polished his first very, very good edition and made it even better. If you're just starting out building database applications, this book is a must-read cover to cover. Expert designers will find Mike’s approach fresh and enlightening and a source of great material for training others.”

     –John Viescas, President, Viescas Consulting, Inc., author of Running Microsoft Access 2000 and coauthor of SQL Queries for Mere Mortals

“Whether you need to learn about relational database design in general, design a relational database, understand relational database terminology, or learn best practices for implementing a relational database, Database Design for Mere Mortals™, Second Edition, is an indispensable book that you’ll refer to often. With his many years of real-world experience designing relational databases, Michael shows you how to analyze and improve existing databases, implement keys, define table relationships and business rules, and create data views, resulting in data integrity, uniform access to data, and reduced data-entry errors.”

     –Paul Cornell, Site Editor, MSDN Office Developer Center

Sound database design can save hours of development time and ensure functionality and reliability. Database Design for Mere Mortals™, Second Edition, is a straightforward, platform-independent tutorial on the basic principles of relational database design. It provides a commonsense design methodology for developing databases that work.

Database design expert Michael J. Hernandez has expanded his best-selling first edition, maintaining its hands-on approach and accessibility while updating its coverage and including even more examples and illustrations.

This edition features a CD-ROM that includes diagrams of sample databases, as well as design guidelines, documentation forms, and examples of the database design process.

This book will give you the knowledge and tools you need to create efficient and effective relational databases.

Access is one of the most widely used pieces of software. Perhaps more so than any other common program, such as Word or Excel, though, many of its users find it more vexing to really understand and use well. This is because you can't use Access successfully without a framework in your head of how a relational database management system works, and almost none of us have that training. While there are many books on Access, most of them are either introductory tutorials on how to use Access's features, or big comprehensive references. None of them give a good solid grounding in basic database design principles. This book fills that need; there really is no other book on Access like it on the market. The author has written for on Access for more than seven years, and knows how to present complicated principles clearly and in an easyto- understand way.