[Book] In Action Serie - Adobe AIR in Action

Many technologies promise to put features of desktop applications on the Web; Adobe AIR, instead, brings the flexibility, convenience, and ease of Web development to the desktop. The AIR is a cross-platform runtime environment that allows Web developers to use their existing skills to start building applications for the desktop.

Adobe AIR in Action introduces AIR to developers familiar with Flash and Flex, showing them how to build solid AIR-driven desktop applications. Using examples, the expert authors walk web developers through the new topics they will need to develop AIR applications for the desktop.

Readers will learn the essential features of the AIR API with examples and code samples that they can use to get up and running in AIR quickly. The book shows how to create and customize native windows, as well as how to read and write files and folders on the local file system.

With Adobe AIR in Action, you'll find:

• An easy-to-follow tutorial approach
• Coverage of desktop and hybrid desktop/web application styles
• Clear instructions for Flex and Flash developers
• Every chapter walks readers through several code examples

Adobe AIR in Action also shows you how to set up and connect to a local database, detect network connectivity and connect to Web services, bridge ActionScript and JavaScript, and deploy and update their applications. Each chapter walks the user through several code examples that address the basics of how to work with the new APIs.

Web developers who read this book will be able to take instant advantage of the increased resources available to desktop applications. Sometimes-connected, web-enabled applications are gaining in popularity, and web developers of all stripes will want to add these skills to their toolbox.

This book assumes basic familiarity with Flex or Flash and ActionScript.

Link:
http://rapidshare.com/files/183001966/InAction-Adobe_AIR_in_Action.pdf

[Book] In Action Serie - ASP.Net and AJAX in Action

Ajax revolutionized how users interact with web pages. Gone are frustrating page refreshes, lost scroll positions, intermittent interactions, and flat, boring pages. Instead we have a new generation of fast, rich, and intuitive web applications. The ASP.NET AJAX framework puts the power of Ajax into the hands of Microsoft ASP.NET developers. ASP.NET AJAX, formerly called Atlas, is a new free framework from Microsoft designed to easily add Ajax features to ASP.NET applications. With this technology, ASP.NET developers can easily build more interactive and highly-personalized web applications that work across all most popular browsers.

ASP.NET AJAX in Action is a fast-paced, example-rich tutorial designed for ASP.NET web developers and written by ASP.NET AJAX experts Alessandro “Garbin” Gallo, David Barkol, and Rama Krishna Vavilala. This book introduces you to Ajax applications and to the ASP.NET AJAX technology. Beginners will appreciate the clear explanations of key ideas and terminology. Intermediate and advanced ASP.NET developers will find a no-nonsense learning source and well-organized reference.

ASP.NET AJAX in Action offers a rich set of examples and meticulous explanations. The extensive code samples are accompanied by accurate and rigorous explanations of the concepts behind development with ASP.NET AJAX. In this book, you will discover how to use

• Microsoft Ajax Library
• Partial rendering with UpdatePanels
• Advanced client and server techniques
• Ajax Control Toolkit

If you are a web developer looking to bring your web pages to life and to enhance the user experience, this book is for you.

ASP.NET AJAX in Action will give you with the knowledge and tools you need to more easily craft the next generation of Ajax applications. With the help of the Microsoft ASP.NET AJAX framework, Ajax development has never been easier and more instinctive for both client-script developers and ASP.NET developers alike.

Link:
http://rapidshare.com/files/182996942/InAction-ASP.Net_and_AJAX_in_Action.pdf

[Book] In Action Serie - Seam in Action

Seam is an exciting new application framework based on the Java EE platform that you can use to build rich, web-based business applications. Seam is rapidly capturing the interest of Java enterprise developers because of its focus on simplicity, ease of use, transparent integration, scalability, and developer choice.

Seam in Action offers a practical and in-depth look at Seam from outside the walls of RedHat/JBoss. The book puts Seam head-to-head with the complexities in the Java EE architecture. It discusses the shortcomings of JSF, the challenges of using Java persistence in the web environment, and other common development roadblocks, then shows how Seam makes these problems just melt away. In covering Seam, the author doesn't just ask you to sprinkle annotations on your code and expect that you understand how it works. Instead, the author lays down the facts, shows you the steps, reveals the logic, and diagrams the flow, so that by the end of the book, you will not only have gained a deep understanding of Seam, but will also come away ready to teach the material to others.

All too often, developers spend a majority of their time integrating disparate technologies, manually tracking state, struggling to understand JSF, wrestling with Hibernate exceptions, and constantly redeploying applications, rather than on the logic pertaining to the business at hand. Seam in Action dives deep into thorough explanations of how Seam eliminates these non-core tasks by leveraging configuration by exception, Java 5 annotations, and aspect-oriented programming.

To start off, you will see a working Java EE-compliant application come together by the end of the second chapter. As you progress through the book, you will discover how Seam eliminates unnecessary layers and configurations and uses an inversion of control technical known as bijection supplemented by a liberal use of the Unified Expression Language (EL) to establish the missing link between JSF, EJB 3 and JavaBean components. You also witness how Seam opens doors for you to incorporate technologies you previously have not had time to learn, such as business processes and stateful page flows (jBPM), rule-based security, Ajax remoting, PDF generation, Spring integration, and more.

Link:
http://rapidshare.com/files/182988287/InAction-Seam_in_Action.pdf

[Book] In Action Serie - LinQ in Action

LINQ, Language INtegrated Query, is a new extension to the Visual Basic and C# programming languages designed to simplify data queries and database interaction. It addreses O/R mapping issues by making query operations like SQL statements part of the programming language. Adding to its power, LINQ is extensible and can be used to query various data sources. It offers built-in support for querying in-memory collections like arrays or lists, XML, DataSets, and relational databases.

LINQ in Action is a fast-paced, comprehensive tutorial for professional developers who want to use LINQ. This book explores what can be done with LINQ, shows you how it works in an application, and addresses the emerging best practices. It presents the general purpose query facilities offered by LINQ in the upcoming C# 3.0 and VB.NET 9.0 languages. A running example introduces basic LINQ concepts. You’ll then learn to query unstructured data using LINQ to XML and relational data with LINQ to SQL. Finally, you’ll see how to extend LINQ for custom applications.

LINQ in Action will guide you along as you navigate this new world of lambda expressions, query operators, and expression trees. You’ll also explore the new features of C# 3.0, VB.NET 9.0. The book is very practical, anchoring each new idea with running code.

You will discover all the basics needed to get a clear understanding of LINQ. Whether you want to use LINQ to query objects, XML documents, or relational databases, you will find all the information you need to get started.

But LINQ in Action does not stop at the basic code. This book also shows you how LINQ can be used for advanced processing of data. This includes coverage of LINQ’s extensibility, which allows querying more data sources than those supported by default.

All code samples are built on a concrete business case. The running example, LinqBooks, is a personal book cataloging system that shows you how to create LINQ applications with Visual Studio 2008.

Link:
http://rapidshare.com/files/182722937/InAction-LinQ_in_Action.pdf

[Book] In Action Serie - Groovy in Action

Groovy, the brand-new language for the Java platform, brings to Java many of the features that have made Ruby popular. Groovy in Action is a comprehensive guide to Groovy programming, introducing Java developers to the new dynamic features that Groovy provides. To bring you Groovy in Action, Manning again went to the source by working with a team of expert authors including both members and the manager of the Groovy Project team. The result is the true definitive guide to the new Groovy language.

Groovy in Action introduces Groovy by example, presenting lots of reusable code while explaining the underlying concepts. Java developers new to Groovy find a smooth transition into the dynamic programming world. Groovy experts gain a solid reference that challenges them to explore Groovy deeply and creatively.

Because Groovy is so new, most readers will be learning it from scratch. Groovy in Action quickly moves through the Groovy basics, including:

• Simple and collective Groovy data types
• Working with closures and Groovy control structures
• Dynamic Object Orientation, Groovy style

Readers are presented with rich and detailed examples illustrating Groovy's enhancements to Java, including

• How to work with builders and the GDK
• Database programming with Groovy

Groovy in Action then demonstrates how to Integrate Groovy with XML, and provides,

• Tips and Tricks
• Unit testing and build support
• Groovy on Windows

An additional bonus is a chapter dedicated to Grails, the Groovy web application framework.

Link:
http://rapidshare.com/files/182719934/InAction-Groovy_in_Action.pdf

[Book] In Action Serie - jQuery in Action

A really good web development framework anticipates your needs. jQuery does more—it practically reads your mind. Developers fall in love with this JavaScript library the moment they see 20 lines of code reduced to three. jQuery is concise and readable. Its unique “chaining” model lets you perform multiple operations on a page element in succession, as in $(“div.elements”).addClass(“myClass”).load(“ajax_url”).fadeIn()

jQuery in Action is a fast-paced introduction and guide. It shows you how to traverse HTML documents, handle events, perform animations, and add Ajax to your web pages. The book's unique “lab pages” anchor the explanation of each new concept in a practical example. You'll learn how jQuery interacts with other tools and frameworks and how to build jQuery plugins. This book requires a modest knowledge of JavaScript and Ajax.

Link:
http://rapidshare.com/files/182706560/InAction-jQuery_in_Action.pdf

[Book] In Action Serie - Java Server Faces in Action

JavaServer Faces helps streamline your web development through the use of UI components and events (instead of HTTP requests and responses). JSF components (buttons, text boxes, checkboxes, data grids, etc.) live between user requests, which eliminates the hassle of maintaining state. JSF also synchronizes user input with application objects, automating another tedious aspect of web development.

JavaServer Faces in Action is an introduction, a tutorial, and a handy reference. With the help of many examples, the book explains what JSF is, how it works, and how it relates to other frameworks and technologies like Struts, Servlets, Portlets, JSP, and JSTL. It provides detailed coverage of standard components, renderers, converters, and validators, and how to use them to create solid applications. This book will help you start building JSF solutions today.

Link:
http://rapidshare.com/files/182702350/InAction-Java_Server_Faces_in_Action.pdf

[Book] In Action Serie - Spring in Action 2nd Edition

Spring is a fresh breeze blowing over the Java landscape. Based on a design principle called Inversion of Control, Spring is a powerful but lightweight J2EE framework that does not require the use of EJBs. Spring greatly reduces the complexity of using interfaces, and speeds and simplifies your application development. You get the power and robust features of EJB and get to keep the simplicity of the non-enterprise JavaBean.

Spring in Action introduces you to the ideas behind Spring and then quickly launches into a hands-on exploration of the framework. Combining short code snippets and an ongoing example developed throughout the book, it shows you how to build simple and efficient J2EE applications. You will see how to solve persistence problems using the leading open-source tools, and also how to integrate your application with the most popular web frameworks. You will learn how to use Spring to manage the bulk of your infrastructure code so you can focus on what really matters — your critical business needs.

Link:
http://rapidshare.com/files/182668495/InAction-Spring_in_Action_2nd_Edition.pdf