Mastering Microsoft Visual Basic 2008 continues the approach of its previous editions by providing thorough, expert coverage of VB 2008, from the core of the language and user interface design to developing data-driven applications and Web applications. The material is aimed at beginners with some programming background to experienced programmers, with emphasis on intermediate and advanced development topics.[cut] The book will contain numerous example programs that readers can use as starting points for building their own applications, and each chapter ends with review exercises to help readers solidify their knowledge.

John Chambers has been the principal designer of the S language since its beginning, and in 1999 received the ACM System Software award for S, the only statistical software to receive this award. He is author or coauthor of the landmark books on S. Now he turns to R, the enormously successful open-source system based on the S language. R's international support and the thousands of packages and other contributions have made it the standard for statistical computing in research and teaching. This book guides the reader through programming with R, beginning with simple interactive use and progressing by gradual stages, starting with simple functions. More advanced programming techniques can be added as needed, allowing users to grow into software contributors, benefiting their careers and the community. R packages provide a powerful mechanism for contributions to be organized and communicated. The techniques covered include such modern programming enhancements as classes and methods, namespaces, and interfaces to spreadsheets or data bases, as well as computations for data visualization, numerical methods, and the use of text data.

Writing code is rewarding, but writing high-quality code, on time and at the lowest possible cost, is what makes a software project successful. As the role of a professional developer has evolved and taken on additional responsibilities, it is now necessary to work in concert with a team in order to improve both the process and final results of a software project. This unique book introduces a set of concrete best practices and construction techniques that can be applied to the development process and to actual code construction, so that you can confidently solve business problems rather than deal solely with pure coding tasks.

Patrick Cauldwell understands that it is no longer sufficient to just write software that solves a problem; it must also be fast, scalable, reliable, and easy to use. In this reference, he explains how to build software that is of high quality at a lower cost and shares with you the practical steps you must take in order to transition from software engineer to technical lead.

This book can teach you how to debug more effectively. It is a complete and pragmatic overview of debugging, written by a talented researcher who has developed many clever ways to isolate bugs. It explains best practices for finding and fixing errors in programs, ranging from systematically tracking error reports, reproducing failures, observing symptoms, isolating the cause, and correcting defects. Along with basic techniques and commonly used tools, the book also explores the author’s innovative techniques for isolating minimal input to reproduce an error and for tracking cause and effect through a program.

Studying this book will make you a better programmer. You will be able to find and fix errors in your code (and your colleague’s code) faster and more effectively, a valuable skill that will enable you to finish projects earlier and produce programs with fewer defects. Also, if you read between the lines you will learn how to write code that is more easily tested and debugged, which further increases your ability to find and correct defects. And thinking hard about what can go wrong with your program can help you avoid mistakes in the first place, so you have less to debug.

You might have a truly amazing idea for a game, but do you know what to do with it? Transforming your idea into an actual game can be a daunting task. You must have an understanding of game art, programming, audio, and business in order to produce the solid game design document that can turn your really cool idea into a really cool game.

"Game Design for Teens" is here to help you develop the skills you need to do just that. Study several real-world examples and learn from the experience of industry professionals as you focus on the techniques and elements that go into creating a game design document. Get ready to set your idea into motion as you turn it from a concept into a reality!