The C++ Standard Library provides plenty of default functionality in the form of the Standard Template Library (STL) for containers (like vectors and linked lists), as well as generic algorithms (which allow you to sort, search, and manipulate elements inside containers). The best thing about The C++ Standard Library is that it gives the reader a concise guide to working with these basic containers (from lists to sets and maps, with everything in between). Each container type is explained along with short code excerpts. Moreover, in a reference section, the author explores the connections between each container type, showing how they share similar methods. (Learn just a few methods and you can pretty much work with them all.)

What is this book about? VBScript is one of Microsoft's scripting languages, which can be employed in a variety of ways — from client-side scripting in Internet Explorer to server-side programming in ASP and the new Microsoft Windows Script Host. The language itself has been gradually increasing in power and flexibility, and the newest release, VBScript 5.0 (which comes with IE5.0), represents a huge increase in functionality and effectiveness:
* VBScript books now in demand from VB and WSH developers
* New version 5.0 now available with substantial changes — this is first book
* Proven Programmer's Reference format
* Extensive reference to langauge and object models

Welcome to the exciting world of 3D graphics creation with DirectX 9! "Beginning DirectX® 9" is your introductory guide to creating realistic virtual worlds and characters for games. This true beginner's guide offers easy-to-follow instructions for getting your first DirectX program up and running. Then it's on to 3D concepts and Direct3D® as you use DirectX 9 to begin designing and building your own 3D worlds. Expand your DirectX knowledge with an introduction to sound processing with DirectSound® and user input with DirectInput®. Wrap things up as you complete a comprehensive project that shows you how to apply each new concept. Bring amazing fantasy worlds to life with the power of DirectX 9!

Although much of the hubris and hyperbole surrounding the 1990's Internet has softened to a reasonable level, the inexorable momentum of information growth continues unabated. This wealth of information provides resources for adapting to the problems posed by our increasingly complex world, but the simple availability of more information does not guarantee its successful transformation into valuable knowledge that shapes, guides, and improves our activity. When faced with something like the analysis of sense-making behavior on the web, traditional research models tell us a lot about learning and performance with browser operations, but very little about how people will actively navigate and search through information structures, what information they will choose to consume, and what conceptual models they will induce about the landscape of cyberspace. Thus, it is fortunate that a new field of research, Adaptive Information Interaction (AII), is becoming possible. AII centers on the problems of understanding and improving human-information interaction. It is about how people will best shape themselves to their information environments, and how information environments can best be shaped to people. Its roots lie in human-computer interaction (HCI), information retrieval, and the behavioral and social sciences. This book is about Information Foraging Theory (IFT), a new theory in Adaptive Information Interaction that is one example of a recent flourish of theories in adaptationist psychology that draw upon evolutionary-ecological theory in biology. IFT assumes that people (indeed, all organisms) are ecologically rational, and that human information-seeking mechanisms and strategies adapt the structure of the information environments in which they operate. Its main aim is to create technology that is better shaped to users. Information Foraging Theory will be of interest to student and professional researchers in HCI and cognitive psychology.

"The flip-side of Patterns, AntiPatterns provide developers with formal descriptions of common development gaffes that can derail a project along with practical guidelines on how to avoid them. In this book, the authors present dozens of Java AntiPatterns that tackle many of Java's biggest trouble spots for programming with EJB, JSP, Servlets, and more. Each AntiPattern is documented with real-world examples, code, and refactored (or escape-route) solutions, and the book uses UML (where appropriate) to diagram improved solutions. All code examples from the book are available to the reader on the book's companion Web site."

The C++ Standard Library provides plenty of default functionality in the form of the Standard Template Library (STL) for containers (like vectors and linked lists), as well as generic algorithms (which allow you to sort, search, and manipulate elements inside containers). The best thing about The C++ Standard Library is that it gives the reader a concise guide to working with these basic containers (from lists to sets and maps, with everything in between). Each container type is explained along with short code excerpts. Moreover, in a reference section, the author explores the connections between each container type, showing how they share similar methods. (Learn just a few methods and you can pretty much work with them all.)

This book offers a practical answer for the non-mathematician to all the questions any businessman always wanted to ask about risk quantification, and never dare to ask.

Enterprise-wide risk management (ERM) is a key issue for board of directors worldwide. Its proper implementation ensures transparent governance with all stakeholders’ interests integrated into the strategic equation. Furthermore, Risk quantification is the cornerstone of effective risk management,at the strategic and tactical level, covering finance as well as ethics considerations. Both downside and upside risks (threats & opportunities) must be assessed to select the most efficient risk control measures and to set up efficient risk financing mechanisms. Only thus will an optimum return on capital and a reliable protection against bankruptcy be ensured, i.e. long term sustainable development.

Within the ERM framework, each individual operational entity is called upon to control its own risks, within the guidelines set up by the board of directors, whereas the risk financing strategy is developed and implemented at the corporate level to optimise the balance between threats and opportunities, systematic and non systematic risks.

This book is designed to equip each board member, each executives and each field manager, with the tool box enabling them to quantify the risks within his/her jurisdiction to all the extend possible and thus make sound, rational and justifiable decisions, while recognising the limits of the exercise. Beyond traditional probability analysis, used since the 18th Century by the insurance community, it offers insight into new developments like Bayesian expert networks, Monte-Carlo simulation, etc. with practical illustrations on how to implement them within the three steps of risk management, diagnostic, treatment and audit.

As the dominant paradigm of economic activity is shifting to a focus on creating customer value, it is becoming increasingly clear that companies must be able to formulate business strategies, product and service strategies and internal operating strategies that accelerate the creation and delivery of customer value. The ability to create value has become the primary source of sustainable competitive strength. With this book, Ulwick introduces a strategy formulation theory and process that allows firms to create strategies that consistently produce breakthrough results. The application of advanced modeling and pattern detection techniques commonly reserved for physics and the behavioral sciences is used in both the design of the theory and in the process it initiates; its application can result in strategies and solutions that delivery up to ten times more value than those created with traditional methods. It is a process that can be broadly applied across an organization and a wide range of subjects or missions.

Ulwick describes Outcome-Based Logic, which can transform organizational dynamics and the way an organization approaches the process of strategy formulation, and proposes a Universal Strategy Formulation Model which defines the four essential elements of strategy creation: desired outcomes, constraints, the desired competitive position, and solutions. Using this model, it becomes possible for an organization to first choose its desired competitive position and then work to uncover the strategy or solution that will enable it to occupy that position. The book also introduces a process called the Customer-Driven Mission Achievement Process (CD-MAP), now successfully used by many large companies to formulate and assess strategies at every organizational level of their organizations. This book, steeped in modern business theory and backed by years of practical experience, will help practitioners in any company improve their operations and their competitive position.

Although competitive intelligence and contemporary marketing research evolved from different intellectual traditions, both are indebted to qualitative methods of research and analysis. Walle shows that by merging their strategies in relevant ways, both fields grow even more robust and responsive to the needs of business clients and decision makers. Written by a noted humanist/social scientist with a wide ranging background in competitive intelligence and marketing research, this book can be viewed as a breakthrough. It is the first book to juxtapose, compare, and integrate the qualitative methods of marketing research with those of competitive intelligence. Among its many important features is a discussion of how to conduct a qualitative audit that assesses the degree to which an organization is able to take full advantage of qualitative analytic techniques. Walle reminds us that the qualitative social sciences and humanities have a strong tradition within intelligence, one that dates back to World War II. Although innovations from the qualitative social sciences and humanities were developed 50 years ago, they were allowed to atrophy as the principle researchers of the time re-entered civilian life. Walle updates and revives them, and shows readers how to do it themselves for their own business purposes. The book reintroduces the World War II-era "culture at a distance" method that applied qualitative social sciences and humanities to intelligence, but updates them in terms of advances that have taken place since then. It also provides useful means to merge competitive intelligence and contemporary marketing research in ways that will result in collaboration and mutual understanding. Finally, Walle provides an appendix that discusses how to recruit and motivate researchers, whose training comes out of the humanities but whose contributions to business will prove of exceptional value. This is an important new resource for marketing practitioners and graduate level students and their teachers.

orporate actions are events that affect large corporations through to the individual investor - even those that own a single-share! All organizations that hold equity and debt securities for themselves and/or on behalf of others are affected when the issuer of a security announces an income or corporate action event. The successful management of the array of different event types requires understanding of the inherent risks, and tight controls at critical points in the event lifecycle. The management of income and corporate action events are important and essential parts of the securities industry business. Written by authors with many years experience within this sector, Corporate Actions: A Guide to Securities Event Management sets out to demystify the subject and provides a thorough, step-by-step introduction to corporate actions and income events.

Corporate Actions is a comprehensive source for understanding a major component of operational processing. The individual components and their relation to each other within the corporate actions lifecycle are explained in detail, through which the reader will gain a clear and thorough understanding of the lifecycle together with potential processing risks and the strategies to mitigate

Corporate Actions is essential reading for all those involved in the securities industry, from new recruits to those involved in both the day-to-day operations process and those within executive management. It will also prove invaluable to those providing consultancy and software solutions to the securities industry.

Corporate Actions is the first major work on this subject. Many people within the securities industry have heard of corporate actions - many people know they can be highly risky - many organizations have lost vast sums of cash in attempting to process them - very few understand them!