intermediate

More Effective C#: 50 Specific Ways to Improve Your C# (Effective Software Development Series)

“Shining a bright light into many of the dark corners of C# 3.0, this book not only covers the ‘how,’ but also the ‘why,’ arming the reader with many field-tested methods for wringing the most from the new language features, such as LINQ, generics, and multithreading. If you are serious about developing with the C# language, you need this book.”

–Bill Craun, Principal Consultant, Ambassador Solutions, Inc.

“More Effective C# is an opportunity to work beside Bill Wagner. Bill leverages his knowledge of C# and distills his expertise down to some very real advice about programming and designing applications that every serious Visual C# user should know. More Effective C# is one of those rare books that doesn’t just regurgitate syntax, but teaches you how to use the C# language.”

–Peter Ritchie, Microsoft MVP: Visual C#

“More Effective C# is a great follow-up to Bill Wagner’s previous book. The extensive

C# 3.0 and LINQ coverage is extremely timely!”

–Tomas Restrepo, Microsoft MVP: Visual C++, .NET, and Biztalk Server

“As one of the current designers of C#, it is rare that I learn something new about the language by reading a book. More Effective C# is a notable exception. Gently blending concrete code and deep insights, Bill Wagner frequently makes me look at C# in a fresh light–one that really makes it shine. More Effective C# is at the surface a collection of very useful guidelines. Look again. As you read through it, you’ll find that you acquire more than just the individual pieces of advice; gradually you’ll pick up on an approach to programming in C# that is thoughtful, beautiful, and deeply pleasant. While you can make your way willy-nilly through the individual guidelines, I do recommend reading the whole book–or at least not skipping over the chapter introductions before you dive into specific nuggets of advice. There’s perspective and insight to be found there that in itself can be an important guide and inspiration for your future adventures in C#.”

–Mads Torgersen, Program Manager, Visual C#, Microsoft

“Bill Wagner has written an excellent book outlining the best practices for developers who work with the C# language. By authoring More Effective C#, he has again established himself as one of the most important voices in the C# community. Many of us already know how to use C#. What we need is advice on how to hone our skills so that we can become wiser programmers. There is no more sophisticated source of information on how to become a first-class C# developer than Bill Wagner’s book. Bill is intelligent, thoughtful, experienced, and skillful. By applying the lessons from this book to your own code, you will find many ways to polish and improve the work that you produce.”

–Charlie Calvert, Community Program Manager, Visual C#, Microsoft

In More Effective C#, Microsoft C# MVP and Regional Director Bill Wagner introduces fifty brand-new ways to write more efficient and more robust software. This all-new book follows the same format as Wagner’s best-selling Effective C# (Addison-Wesley, 2005), providing clear, practical explanations, expert tips, and plenty of realistic code examples.

Wagner shows how to make the most of powerful innovations built into Microsoft’s new C# 3.0 and .NET Framework 3.5, as well as advanced C# language capabilities not covered in his previous book. Drawing on his unsurpassed C# experience, the author reveals new best practices for working with LINQ, generics, metaprogramming, and many other features. He also uncovers practices that compromise performance or reliability and shows exactly how to avoid them.

More Effective C# shows how to

• Use generics to express your design intent more effectively
• Master advanced generics techniques, such as constraints, method constraints, and generic specialization
• Use the multithreaded techniques you’ll need to work with the .NET framework every day
• Express modern design idioms using the rich palette of C# language features
• Successfully mix object oriented and functional programming constructs
• Create composable interfaces and avoid confusion in public interfaces
• Use extension methods to separate contracts from implementation
• Program successfully with C# closures and anonymous types
• Write more effective LINQ queries
• Make the most of LINQ Lazy Evaluation Queries and Lambda Expressions
• Distinguish and convert between delegates and expression trees
• Efficiently utilize nullable types and partial classes
• Use implicit properties for mutable, nonserializable data

You’re already a successful C# programmer–this book can help you become an outstanding one.

Concurrent Programming on Windows (Microsoft .NET Development Series)

“I have been fascinated with concurrency ever since I added threading support to the Common Language Runtime a decade ago. That’s also where I met Joe, who is a world expert on this topic. These days, concurrency is a first-order concern for practically all developers. Thank goodness for Joe’s book. It is a tour de force and I shall rely on it for many years to come.”

–Chris Brumme, Distinguished Engineer, Microsoft

“I first met Joe when we were both working with the Microsoft CLR team. At that time, we had several discussions about threading and it was apparent that he was as passionate about this subject as I was. Later, Joe transitioned to Microsoft’s Parallel Computing Platform team where a lot of his good ideas about threading could come to fruition. Most threading and concurrency books that I have come across contain information that is incorrect and explains how to solve contrived problems that good architecture would never get you into in the first place. Joe’s book is one of the very few books that I respect on the matter, and this respect comes from knowing Joe’s knowledge, experience, and his ability to explain concepts.”

–Jeffrey Richter, Wintellect

“There are few areas in computing that are as important, or shrouded in mystery, as concurrency. It’s not simple, and Duffy doesn’t claim to make it so–but armed with the right information and excellent advice, creating correct and highly scalable systems is at least possible. Every self-respecting Windows developer should read this book.”

–Jonathan Skeet, Software Engineer, Clearswift

“What I love about this book is that it is both comprehensive in its coverage of concurrency on the Windows platform, as well as very practical in its presentation of techniques immediately applicable to real-world software development. Joe’s book is a ‘must have’ resource for anyone building native or managed code Windows applications that leverage concurrency!”

–Steve Teixeira, Product Unit Manager, Parallel Computing Platform, Microsoft Corporation

“This book is a fabulous compendium of both theoretical knowledge and practical guidance on writing effective concurrent applications. Joe Duffy is not only a preeminent expert in the art of developing parallel applications for Windows, he’s also a true student of the art of writing. For this book, he has combined those two skill sets to create what deserves and is destined to be a long-standing classic in developers’ hands everywhere.”

–Stephen Toub, Program Manager Lead, Parallel Computing Platform, Microsoft

“As chip designers run out of ways to make the individual chip faster, they have moved towards adding parallel compute capacity instead. Consumer PCs with multiple cores are now commonplace. We are at an inflection point where improved performance will no longer come from faster chips but rather from our ability as software developers to exploit concurrency. Understanding the concepts of concurrent programming and how to write concurrent code has therefore become a crucial part of writing successful software. With Concurrent Programming on Windows, Joe Duffy has done a great job explaining concurrent concepts from the fundamentals through advanced techniques. The detailed descriptions of algorithms and their interaction with the underlying hardware turn a complicated subject into something very approachable. This book is the perfect companion to have at your side while writing concurrent software for Windows.”

–Jason Zander, General Manager, Visual Studio, Microsoft

“When you begin using multi-threading throughout an application, the importance of clean architecture and design is critical. . . . This places an emphasis on understanding not only the platform’s capabilities but also emerging best practices. Joe does a great job interspersing best practices alongside theory throughout his book.”

– From the Foreword by Craig Mundie, Chief Research and Strategy Officer, Microsoft Corporation

Author Joe Duffy has risen to the challenge of explaining how to write software that takes full advantage of concurrency and hardware parallelism. In Concurrent Programming on Windows, he explains how to design, implement, and maintain large-scale concurrent programs, primarily using C# and C++ for Windows.

Duffy aims to give application, system, and library developers the tools and techniques needed to write efficient, safe code for multicore processors. This is important not only for the kinds of problems where concurrency is inherent and easily exploitable–such as server applications, compute-intensive image manipulation, financial analysis, simulations, and AI algorithms–but also for problems that can be speeded up using parallelism but require more effort–such as math libraries, sort routines, report generation, XML manipulation, and stream processing algorithms.

Concurrent Programming on Windows has four major sections: The first introduces concurrency at a high level, followed by a section that focuses on the fundamental platform features, inner workings, and API details. Next, there is a section that describes common patterns, best practices, algorithms, and data structures that emerge while writing concurrent software. The final section covers many of the common system-wide architectural and process concerns of concurrent programming.

This is the only book you’ll need in order to learn the best practices and common patterns for programming with concurrency on Windows and .NET.

Intermediate Perl

Perl is a versatile, powerful programming language used in a variety of disciplines, ranging from system administration to web programming to database manipulation. One slogan of Perl is that it makes easy things easy and hard things possible. "Intermediate Perl" is about making the leap from the easy things to the hard ones.

Originally released in 2003 as "Learning Perl Objects, References, and Modules" and revised and updated for Perl 5.8, this book offers a gentle but thorough introduction to intermediate programming in Perl. Written by the authors of the best-selling "Learning Perl," it picks up where that book left off. Topics include:

Packages and namespaces

References and scoping

Manipulating complex data structures

Object-oriented programming

Writing and using modules

Testing Perl code

Contributing to CPAN

Following the successful format of "Learning Perl," we designed each chapter in the book to be small enough to be read in just an hour or two, ending with a series of exercises to help you practice what you've learned. To use the book, you just need to be familiar with the material in "Learning Perl" and have ambition to go further.

Perl is a different language to different people. It is a quick scripting tool for some, and a fully-featured object-oriented language for others. It is used for everything from performing quick global replacements on text files, to crunching huge, complex sets of scientific data that take weeks to process. Perl is what you make of it. But regardless of what you use Perl for, this book helps you do it more effectively, efficiently, and elegantly.

"Intermediate Perl" is about learning to use Perl as aprogramming language, and not just a scripting language. This is the book that turns the Perl dabbler into the Perl programmer.

UML 2 Certification Guide: Fundamental & Intermediate Exams (The MK/OMG Press)

The popular Unified Modeling Language (UML) is both a language and notation developed by the Object Management Group (OMG) used to design and create specifications for software systems. With the recent release of version 2.0 UML, the OMG has started the OMG-Certified UML Professional Program to provide an objective measure of UML knowledge. As a certified UML professional a developer has an important credential to present to employers and clients. Certification also benefits companies looking for skilled UML practitioners by giving them a basis for making hiring and promotion decisions.
UML 2 Certification Guide is the only official study guide to passing the new UML exams. This book systematically covers all of the topics covered in the exams, and has been carefully reviewed by the OMG. The book begins by assuming only a basic knowledge of UML and then progresses far enough to allow a reader to pass both the fundamental and the intermediate level exams. Along the way the book also covers topics that are not in introductory books on UML but that are necessary to pass the exams. Tim Weilkiens is considered one of the top ten experts on UML, and both authors have extensive experience training developers to successfully take the exams.

* The official certification resource
* Assumes a basic knowledge of UML so that you can focus immediately on the exams
* Written by two authors known for their skill as trainers, consultants, and developers
* Developed systematically to enable you to master all exam topics-without exception
* Covers the use of UML for applications, as required by the exams, both inside and outside of the realm of software development
* Includes a practice exam, glossary, list of books, and website information

SPSS for Intermediate Statistics: Use and Interpretation, Third Edition

This book demonstrates how to analyze and interpret research data with SPSS 15.0 through a variety of statistics reviewed in intermediate statistics courses. The new edition features SPSS 15.0 but it can also be used with earlier versions. Each chapter introduces several statistics and explains how to run them and interpret the outputs. Featuring user-friendly descriptions, the book reviews how to assess the reliability and validity of data. The authors demonstrate how to: choose the appropriate statistic based on the research design; use SPSS to answer research questions; and interpret and write about SPSS outputs. The examples use real data and are contained on the book's CD. Outputs, screen shots, and lab assignments complete the package. This inexpensive paperback is an ideal supplement for courses on intermediate/advanced statistics and/or research methods.

Illustrated Course Guide: Microsoft Office Access 2007 Intermediate (Illustrated Course Guides in Full Color)

This Illustrated SeriesÂ’ CourseGuide covers the essential information that users need to know for Microsoft Access 2007. Our signature two-page spread design has been updated and refreshed to take full advantage of the new features of the Office 2007 software. This practical, easy to navigate book allows continuing education students to learn quickly, while serving as an excellent reference tool.

Microsoft Word 2007 Formatting (Intermediate) Quick Reference Guide (Cheat Sheet of Instructions, Tips & Shortcuts - Laminated)

Laminated quick reference guide showing step-by-step instructions and shortcuts for how to use formatting features of Microsoft Office Word 2007 at the intermediate level. The following topics are covered: Showing the Ruler; Setting, Moving, Removing Tabs; Clearing Tab Settings; Setting Tabs with Leaders; Disabling Automatic Formatting; Using the Indent Markers; Using Easy Indent; Creating Bulleted, Numbered, and Multi-Level Lists. Paragraph Breaks vs. Line Breaks; Paragraph Spacing; Line Spacing; Clearing Formatting; Changing Default Font; Using Quick Styles; Using Themes to Format the Document; Creating a Text Box. Inserting a Table; Inserting Rows and Columns within a Table; Changing Column Widths; Merging and Splitting Cells; Centering a Table within the Margins; Changing Text Direction; Moving the Table; Wrapping Text around Tables; Adding Space within a Table; Paragraph/Cell Borders and Shading. Finding and Replacing Text; and Finding and Replacing Text Attributes. Also includes: Lists of Table Selection Shortcuts and Formatting Shortcuts. This guide is suitable as a training handout, or simply an easy to use reference guide, for any type of user.

Avid Editing, Third Edition: A Guide for Beginning and Intermediate Users

Avid Editing is a comprehensive guide covering Avid Xpress Pro, XPress Pro HD, and Xpress DV. Due to the similarity of Avid's interface across product lines, it is also relevant for Media Composer and other systems. Suitable for beginning editors or experienced editors new to the Avid, the book provides step-by-step instructions for hundreds of editing tasks in jargon-free terms. The chapters guide you through an editing project, while the accompanying DVD provides narrative footage to download for immediate, hands-on practice. The book can be read and studied at home, or while sitting in front of an Avid, following the book's step-by-step instructions.

More than a software manual, this book delves into general editing techniques, principles, and pitfalls. The author is an experienced teacher who will help you master the Avid as well as improve your overall editing skills.

This edition covers working with HD, the 16:9 widescreen, and the powerful Script Integration tool. In addition, there's new coverage of the issues facing indie filmmaker who is trying to decide how to go from the DV stage (shooting on mini-DV or DVCAM formats) to theatrical distribution. As well, there is new material on using Avid in PAL regions.

* Focuses on Avid Xpress Pro, Xpress Pro HD, Xpress DV, and Media Composer but relevant to all Avid systems
* Companion DVD includes footage to edit to provide the hands-on experience you need
* Teaches HD, HDV, and 24P workflows
* Over 500 images and screen captures clearly illustrate principles

Intermediate Robot Building

For readers of Robot Building for Beginners (Apress, 2002), welcome to the next level! Intermediate Robot Building offers the kind of real-world knowledge that only an experienced robot builder can offerthe kind of knowledge beginners usually have to learn through mistakes. In this book, you'll learn the value of a robot heartbeat and the purpose of the wavy lines in photocells. You'll find out what electronic part you should sand. You'll discover how a well-placed switch can help a robot avoid obstacles better than a pair of feelers. And you'll avoid mistakes that can cause a capacitor to explode.

Want a robot that can explore rooms, follow lines, or battle opponents in mini-sumo? This book presents step-by-step instructions and circuit and part descriptions so that you can build the robot featured in the book or apply the modules to your own robot designs.

Finally, you'll find the complete schematics for Roundabout, a room explorer that requires no programming and uses only off-the-shelf electronics. With Roundabout, you'll use many of the same techniques used by professional robotics engineersand you'll experience many of the same challenges and joys they feel when a robot "comes to life."

A Guide for Using Charlotte's Web in the Classroom

This resource is directly related to its literature equivalent and filled with a variety of cross-curricular lessons to do before, during, and after reading the book. This reproducible book includes sample plans, author information, vocabulary building ideas, cross-curriculum activities, sectional activities and quizzes, unit tests, and ideas for culminating and extending the novel. Grades: 3 - 5 Pages: 48