I was excited when my editor asked me to write a phrasebook on the Python language. The phrasebook is one of the smallest books I have ever written; however, it was one of the hardest.

The idea of a conventional phrasebook is to provide readers with quick phrases that actually mean something in the language. The Python...

More and more Web sites are being rewritten as Ajax applications; even traditional desktop software is rapidly moving to the Web via Ajax. But, all too often, this...

Are you ready to extend the capabilities of Visual Studio to become more efficient and productive? Whether you want to integrate optimized builds, enhanced programming tools, or other rapid application development features, this unique resource shows you how to develop customized...

As most writers will testify, writing a book entails a fair amount of hard work. It follows that one needs a reason for undertaking the task in the first place. The easiest motivation to understand for writing a book, and perhaps the most common one, is the desire for monetary reward. I do not know what inspired J. K. Rowling to write her...

Why write yet another introductory Java book? The answer is simple; I was unable to find a suitable textbook for teaching introductory Java programming. This is for three main reasons. First, every Java textbook I looked at, or taught from, was too tedious to read. I could not justify asking my students to read something that I was incapable...

As I write this, Java is just beginning its second decade. Unlike many other computer languages whose influence begins to wane over the years, Java’s has grown stronger with the passage of time. Java leapt to the forefront of Internet programming with its first release. Each subsequent version has solidified that position. Today,...

• Detect and solve performance, indexing, and fuzzy matches problems and more in an effective way
• Tune PostgreSQL databases and remove bottlenecks...