Programming

With Advanced iOS 4 Programming, developers have the expert guidance they need to create amazing applications for Apple's iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Inside, veteran mobile developer Dr. Maher Ali begins with a foundation introduction to Objective C and Cocoa Touch programming, and then guides readers through building apps with Apple's iPhone SDK 4 – including coverage of the major categories of new APIs and building apps for the new Apple iPad.

This book concentrates on illustrating GUI concepts programmatically, allowing readers to fully appreciate the complete picture of iOS 4 development without relying on Interface Builder. In addition, Interface Builder is covered in several chapters.

Advanced iOS 4 Programming delves into more advanced topics going beyond the basics of iOS 4 development, providing comprehensive coverage that will help you get your apps to the App Store quicker.

Key features include:

• Objective-C programming language and runtime
• Interface Builder
• Building advanced mobile user interfaces
• Collections
• Cocoa Touch
• Core Animation and Quartz 2D
• Model-view-controller (MVC) designs
• Developing for the iPad
• Grand Central Dispatch
• Parsing XML documents using SAX, DOM, and TouchXML
• Working with the Map Kit API
• Remote and Local Push Notification
• Blocks (closures) in Objective-C
• Building advanced location-based applications
• Developing database applications using the SQLite engine
• GameKit framework

30 Ways to Have Some Computer-Controlled Evil Fun!

This wickedly inventive guide shows you how to program and build a variety of projects with the Arduino microcontroller development system. Covering Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms, 30 Arduino Projects for the Evil Genius gets you up to speed with the simplified C programming you need to know--no prior programming experience necessary.

Using easy-to-find components and equipment, this do-it-yourself book explains how to attach an Arduino board to your computer, program it, and connect electronics to it to create fiendishly fun projects. The only limit is your imagination!

30 Arduino Projects for the Evil Genius:

• Features step-by-step instructions and helpful illustrations
• Provides full schematic and construction details for every project
• Covers the scientific principles behind the projects
• Removes the frustration factor--all required parts are listed along with sources

Build these and other devious devices:

• Morse code translator
• High-powered strobe light
• Seasonal affective disorder light
• LED dice
• Keypad security code
• Pulse rate monitor
• USB temperature logger
• Oscilloscope
• Light harp
• LCD thermostat
• Computer-controlled fan
• Hypnotizer
• Servo-controlled laser
• Lie detector
• Magnetic door lock
• Infrared remote

Scala is an object-oriented programming language for the Java Virtual Machine. In addition to being object-oriented, Scala is also a functional language, and combines the best approaches to OO and functional programming.

In Italian, Scala means a stairway, or steps indeed, Scala lets you step up to a programming environment that incorporates some of the best recent thinking in programming language design while also letting you use all your existing Java code.

Artima is very pleased to publish a new edition of the best-selling book on Scala, written by the designer of the language, Martin Odersky. Co-authored by Lex Spoon and Bill Venners, this book takes a step-by-step tutorial approach to teaching you Scala. Starting with the fundamental elements of the language, Programming in Scala introduces functional programming from the practitioner's perspective, and describes advanced language features that can make you a better, more productive developer.

Programming Web Services with XML-RPC introduces the simple but powerful capabilities of XML-RPC, a system for remote procedure calls built on XML and the HTTP protocol. XML-RPC lets developers connect programs running on different computers with a minimum of fuss, by wrapping procedure calls in XML and establishing simple pathways for calling functions. With XML-RPC, Java programs can talk to Perl scripts, which can talk to Python programs, ASP applications, and so on. Developers can provide access to functionality without having to worry about the system on the other end, so it's easy to create web services. This book supplies the details of both the XML-RPC specification and various XML-RPC implementations, so you can get started developing distributed applications in Java, Perl, Python, ASP, or PHP.

Covers version 1.5 of Adobe AIR

Written to help you hit the ground running, this book teaches you how to build state-of-the-art rich desktop applications on the breakthrough Adobe AIR platform.

Stacy Tyler Young, Michael Givens, and Dimitrios Gianninas illustrate the power of this technology through practical application examples based on the official 1.5 release of Adobe AIR. You’ll discover how Adobe AIR helps you solve problems you just couldn’t solve before by extending the reach of your web applications onto users’ desktops. Building on your existing knowledge of Adobe Flex, HTML, JavaScript, and Ajax software, you’ll master the powerful Adobe AIR platform--moving quickly from task-oriented examples to larger-scale, real-world projects. The authors don’t just cover coding--they help you maximize your effectiveness throughout the entire development lifecycle via design patterns, frameworks, build process, continuous integration, and automated testing.

If you’re ready to build the next generation of rich hybrid desktop applications, Adobe AIR is the development platform you’ve been searching for...and this is the book you need to kick-start new projects using this exciting new technology.

Detailed information on how to...

• Install and configure your Adobe AIR development environment
• Build the next generation web/desktop hybrid applications to run on Adobe AIR
• Add new desktop capabilities to your web applications such as native windows, local file I/O, and client-side databases
• Create HTML/Adobe Flex mash-up applications
• Push data to Adobe AIR clients using BlazeDS, an open source Java remoting and messaging technology
• Package, distribute, and update Adobe AIR applications
• Work with display objects in 3D space by leveraging Adobe Flash Player 10
• Build Adobe AIR applications using common frameworks like Cairngorm
• Create automated builds using Apache Ant, complete with FlexUnit testing strategies
• Create a peer-to-peer photo-sharing application by combining Adobe AIR and Java

Part I       Getting Started with Adobe AIR

1         Introduction to Adobe AIR 9

2         Setting Up the Development Environment 15

3         Creating an Adobe AIR Application 29

4         Debugging Adobe AIR Applications 51

Part II       Building Adobe AIR Applications

5         Working with Windows 67

6         Working with Screens 89

7         Working with Files and Directories 101

8         Understanding the Drag-and-Drop API 115

9         Working with Copy and Paste 129

10       Working with Native Menus 159

11       Adding User Notifications 177

12       Working with Local Databases 189

13       Understanding Networking and Local Connections 213

14       Working with Adobe Flex AIR Components 251

Part III       Securing Adobe AIR Applications

15       Understanding Security Sandboxes 263

16       Using the Encrypted Local Store 273

Part IV       Deploying Adobe AIR Applications

17       Distributing Adobe AIR Applications 283

18       Updating Adobe AIR Applications 309

Part V       Architecting Adobe AIR Applications

19       Introduction to Frameworks and Design Patterns 321

20       Building Adobe AIR Applications Using the Cairngorm Microarchitecture 335

Part VI       Agile Development with Adobe AIR

21       Creating a Build Process 359

22       Incorporating Unit Testing 373

23       Continuous Integration with Adobe AIR 393

Part VII       Real-World Projects

24       Contact Manager with Integrated Yahoo! Maps 411

25       Peer-to-Peer Photo Sharing Using Adobe AIR, Bonjour, and Java 421

26       Building a Video Distribution System 427

Part VIII       Adobe AIR 1.5 and Adobe Flash 10 Extras

27       Using Adobe Flash 10 Features in Adobe AIR 439

Appendices

A        Adobe AIR Resources for Developers 451

B        Adobe AIR API Reference Poster (Downloadable) 455

C        Downloading Source Code for Adobe AIR Programming Unleashed 457

Index 463

The Professional Guide to Programming Joomla!

• In-depth guide to programming Joomla!
• Design and build secure and robust components, modules and plugins
• Includes a comprehensive reference to the major areas of the Joomla! framework

In Detail

Joomla! is the world's hottest open-source content management system, and the winner of the 2006 Open Source CMS Prize. Out of the box, Joomla! does a great job of managing the content needed to make your website sing. But for many people, the true power of Joomla! lies in its application framework that makes it possible for thousands of developers around the world to create powerful add-ons and extensions. Many companies or organizations have requirements that go beyond what is available in the basic Joomla! package or in a freely available extension. Thankfully, Joomla! offers a powerful application framework that makes it easy for developers to create sophisticated add-ons that extend the power of Joomla! into virtually unlimited directions.

If you use PHP programming to extend or customize Joomla!, this book is essential reading. If you feel that you've mastered the basics of creating Joomla! extensions, then this book will take you to the next level. Packed with expert advice on all aspects of development with Joomla!, you will learn about best-practice design and coding for Joomla! components, modules, plugins and other extensions.

You will also learn about customizing the page output, using JavaScript effects, making use of Web Services from within Joomla! and ensuring that your code is secure and error-free.

A unique and comprehensive reference to the main areas of interest within the Joomla! framework is also included in the book.

What you will learn from this book?

• Joomla!'s directory and URI structure along with a brief overview of its libraries
• Joomla's common classes, variables and constants crucial for creating Joomla! extensions
• Extending the database, following conventions for database schema, and common fields
• Storing common types of data in standard fields and dealing with multilingual requirements.
• Getting data from the Joomla! database
• Using the JTable class to display and edit tables of cells
• Designing components using the MVC design pattern
• Configuring the component and its various elements and parameters.
• Packaging components with the required install and uninstall files
• Getting modules and components to work together
• Writing, loading, and translating plugins
• Working with Joomla!'s registry
• Working with the User, Session, and Browser classes
• Render output and maintain consistency throughout the application
• Controlling paging of lists
• Using JavaScript effects from the mootools librarys included with Joomla!
• Creating and using Web Services in Joomla!
• Handling errors, warnings and notices
• Building secure Joomla! extensions
• Working with dates, arrays, tree structures and other Joomla! utility classes
• An in-depth reference guide to the most significant parts of the Joomla! framework

Approach

Packed with expert advice and tips, this book is an invaluable reference guide that you will turn to again and again as you work with Joomla!

Who this book is written for?

PHP developers who want to understand how Joomla! works with a view to advanced customization or extension development, and want to learn how to work with the Joomla! framework.

Programming Web Services with XML-RPC introduces the simple but powerful capabilities of XML-RPC, a system for remote procedure calls built on XML and the HTTP protocol. XML-RPC lets developers connect programs running on different computers with a minimum of fuss, by wrapping procedure calls in XML and establishing simple pathways for calling functions. With XML-RPC, Java programs can talk to Perl scripts, which can talk to Python programs, ASP applications, and so on. Developers can provide access to functionality without having to worry about the system on the other end, so it's easy to create web services. This book supplies the details of both the XML-RPC specification and various XML-RPC implementations, so you can get started developing distributed applications in Java, Perl, Python, ASP, or PHP.