Cloud computing is often described as providing computing resources the way electric utilities provide energy. In theory, anyone with an adequate connection to the Internet should be able to tap into a cloud provider and get exactly the computing resources they want when they want it, just like plugging into the electricity grid and...

In that first edition, Ryan and I tried to cover every corner of...

Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is a powerful tool that enables you to automate operations in the Microsoft Offi ce applications and in other applications that host VBA. By automating operations using VBA, you can save yourself and your colleagues huge amounts of time and effort. Getting more work done in less time is usually good...

You have just bought your new Windows Phone 7 device and would like to start developing applications. You need to know the device’s hardware characteristics such as screen resolution and memory capability—but also which sensors and services it provides. Finally, you need to understand what the Windows Phone 7 operating system...

Using Force.com, you can build enterprise applications with world-class value, scalability, and reliability--and do it in days or weeks, not months...

Java EE 6, the latest version of the Java EE specification, adds several new features to simplify enterprise application development. New versions of existing Java EE APIs have been included in this latest version of Java EE. JSF 2.0 greatly simplifies web application development. JPA 2.0 features a new criteria API and several other...

More and more people are using the query language SPARQL (pronounced “sparkle”) to pull data from a growing collection of public and private data. Whether this data is part of a semantic web project or an integration of two inventory databases on different platforms behind the same firewall, SPARQL is making it easier to access...

Welcome to Java. This chapter launches you on a tour of this technology by focusing on fundamentals. First, you receive an answer to the “What is Java?” question. If you have not previously encountered Java, the answer might surprise you. Next, you are introduced to some basic tools that will help you start developing Java...

My interest in this subject started when I joined the broadcast equipment manufacturer, Chyron. For a few years I was the product manager for their playout automation and asset management product lines. These were one of the first applications that gave television broadcasters the means to manage the ingest, storage, archiving, and...

You will be taken on a journey from simple stop motion animations...

I used to think plug-ins were for people who could afford to buy creativity. Then I realized it was for those who had creativity, but were burdened and held back by the process, or lack of tools, for their creativity. After Effects plug-ins are not someone’s project files or templates for you to copy, but rather tools for...

Distributed with every copy of Python, the standard library contains hundreds of modules that provide tools for interacting with the operating system, interpreter, and Internet. All of them are tested and ready to be used to jump start the development of your applications. This book presents selected examples demonstrating how to use the most...