“If you get only one Java book, it should be Sams Teach Yourself Java in 21 Days”   –PC Magazine

In just 21 days, you can acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to develop three kinds of programs with Java: applications on your computer, servlets on a web server, and browser-launched Java Web Start applications.

No previous programming experience required. By following the 21 carefully organized lessons in this book, anyone can learn the basics of Java programming.

Learn at your own pace. You can work through each chapter sequentially to make sure you thoroughly understand all of the concepts and methodologies, or you can focus on specific lessons to learn the techniques that interest you most.

Test your knowledge. Each chapter ends with a Workshop section filled with questions, answers, and exercises for further study. There are even certification practice questions.

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Since the enormous number of new features made available with MySQL release 5.0, MySQL has been gaining steam as a viable alternative to database behemoths like Oracle and IBM DB2. MySQL users now have the ability to extend MySQL with new SQL commands, optimize query execution, and embed MySQL within low-resource environments like embedded devices and kiosks.

Expert MySQL, by Dr. Charles A. Bell, is the first book to examine these opportunities in detail, showing you how to wield maximum control over this powerful open source database. You'll learn how to create your own custom storage handlers, ensuring maximum flexibility and speed within your specialized applications. You'll also gain valuable insight into MySQL's architecture and learn how to tweak its behavior through custom changes to the source code.

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The IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software version 4 course in the Cisco® Networking Academy® is designed to prepare you to take and pass the CompTIA A+ exams based on the 2006 objectives. You must pass both the A+ Essentials and one of the technician exams to earn the A+ certification. Chapters 1 through 10 cover the foundational knowledge that aligns with the CompTIA A+ Essentials exam (220-601). Chapters 11 through 16 explore more advanced concepts in greater depth to prepare you for the specialized CompTIA A+ technician exams (220-602 for IT Technician, 220-603 for Remote Support Technician, and 220-604 for Bench Technician).

IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software Labs and Study Guide, Third Edition, is designed as a valuable teaching and learning tool, incorporating new features to improve your hands-on skills and reinforce the key topics of the course. Each chapter contains a Study Guide section and a Labs section.

The Study Guide section is designed to provide additional exercises and questions to reinforce your understanding of the course topics, preparing you for the course assessments and focusing on preparing for the associated certification exams.

The Labs section features the complete collection of the lab exercises and worksheets specifically designed by Cisco to give students hands-on experience in a particular concept or technology.

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Now that ActionScript is reengineered from top to bottom as a true object-oriented programming (OOP) language, reusable design patterns are an ideal way to solve common problems in Flash and Flex applications. If you're an experienced Flash or Flex developer ready to tackle sophisticated programming techniques with ActionScript 3.0, this hands-on introduction to design patterns is the book you need.

ActionScript 3.0 Design Patterns takes you step by step through the process, first by explaining how design patterns provide a clear road map for structuring code that actually makes OOP languages easier to learn and use. You then learn about various types of design patterns and construct small abstract examples before trying your hand at building full-fledged working applications outlined in the book. Topics in ActionScript 3.0 Design Patterns include:

• Key features of ActionScript 3.0 and why it became an OOP language
• OOP characteristics, such as classes, abstraction, inheritance, and polymorphism
• The benefits of using design patterns
• Creational patterns, including Factory and Singleton patterns
• Structural patterns, including Decorator, Adapter, and Composite patterns
• Behavioral patterns, including Command, Observer, Strategy, and State patterns
• Multiple design patterns, including Model-View-Controller and Symmetric Proxy designs

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Beginning Hibernate is ideal if youre experienced in Java with databases (the traditional, or “connected,” approach), but are new to open source lightweight Hibernatethe most popular de facto object-relational mapping and database-oriented application development framework. This book packs in brand new information about the latest release of the Hibernate 3.2.x persistence layer and provides a clear introduction to the current standard for object-relational persistence in Java.

Experienced author Dave Minter and contributor Jeff Linwood provide more in-depth examples than any other books for Hibernate beginners. The authors also present material in a lively, example-based mannernot in a dry, theoretical, hard-to-read fashion. And since the book keeps its focus on Hibernate without wasting time on nonessential third-party tools, youll be able to immediately start building transaction-based engines and applications.

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CodeIgniter (CI) is a powerful open-source PHP framework with a very small footprint, built for PHP coders who need a simple and elegant toolkit to create full-featured web applications. CodeIgniter is an MVC framework, similar in some ways to the Rails framework for Ruby, and is designed to enable, not overwhelm.

This book explains how to work with CodeIgniter in a clear logical way. It is not a detailed guide to the syntax of CodeIgniter, but makes an ideal complement to the existing online CodeIgniter user guide, helping you grasp the bigger picture and bringing together many ideas to get your application development started as smoothly as possible.

• Clear, structured tutorial on working with CodeIgniter
• Careful explanation of the basic concepts of CodeIgniter and its MVC architecture
• Using CodeIgniter with databases, HTML forms, files, images, sessions, and email
• Building a dynamic website quickly and easily using CodeIgniter's prepared code

Improve your PHP coding productivity with this guide to the powerful and popular CodeIgniter framework.

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.NET System Management Services is a comprehensive overview of a next-generation system management framework, which emerged recently as a result of a merger between two new technologies from Microsoft: the .NET platform and Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI). WMI has a much narrower focus and somewhat limited audience than .NET. Together, these two technologies are a cornerstone of Microsoft's strategic vision, aiming to make Windows a supreme enterprise computing environment.
.NET System Management Services is a detailed and practical overview of the enterprise system management facilities, available as part of the Framework Class Library (FCL) of the .NET Framework. While WMI, which is a centerpiece of Microsoft's enterprise management technology, is a fairly well researched topic, .NET system management documentation is scarce and books are non-existent. This book not only acts as a comprehensive and sensible supplement to often inadequate documentation, but also covers some completely overlooked aspects of .NET and WMI programming.
After reading .NET System Management Services, .NET software developers and system administrators will possess a solid understanding of the fundamental concepts behind WMI and should be well positioned for rapidly developing custom management tools, often more flexible and powerful than any expensive off-the-shelf software.

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Legendary programming author Herb Schildt shares some of his favorite programming techniques in this high-powered Java "cookbook." Organized for quick reference, each recipe shows how to accomplish a practical programming task. A recipe begins with a list of key ingredients (the classes, methods, and interfaces) followed by step-by-step instructions that show how to assemble them into a complete solution. Detailed discussions explain the how and why behind each step, and a full code example puts the recipe into action. Each recipe ends with a list of options and alternatives that suggest ways to adapt the technique to fit a variety of situations. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced pro, you'll find recipes that are sure to satisfy your Java programming appetite!

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