In just 24 sessions of one hour or less, Sams Teach Yourself Node.js in 24 Hours will help you master the Node.js platform and use it to build server-side applications with extraordinary speed and scalability. Using this text’s straightforward, step-by-step approach, you’ll move from basic installation, configuration, and programming all the way through real-time messaging between browser and server, testing and deployment. Every lesson and case-study application builds on what you’ve already learned, giving you a rock-solid foundation for real-world success! Step-by-step instructions carefully walk you through the most common Node.js development tasks. Quizzes and Exercises at the end of each chapter help you test your knowledge. By the Way notes present valuable additional information related to the discussion. Did You Know? tips offer advice or show you easier ways to perform tasks. Watch Out! cautions alert you to possible problems and give you advice on how to avoid them. Learn how to... · Create end-to-end applications entirely in JavaScript · Master essential Node.js concepts like callbacks and quickly create your first program · Create basic sites with the HTTP module and Express web framework · Manage data persistence with Node.js and MongoDB · Debug and test Node.js applications · Deploy Node.js applications to thirdparty services, such as Heroku and Nodester · Build powerful real-time solutions, from chat servers to Twitter clients · Create JSON APIs using JavaScript on the server · Use core components of the Node.js API, including processes, child processes, events, buffers, and streams · Create and publish a Node.js module

NoSQL database usage is growing at a stunning 50% per year, as organizations discover NoSQL's potential to address even the most challenging Big Data and real-time database problems. Every NoSQL database is different, but one is the most popular by far: MongoDB. Now, in just 24 lessons of one hour or less, you can learn how to leverage MongoDB's immense power. Each short, easy lesson builds on all that's come before, teaching NoSQL concepts and MongoDB techniques from the ground up. Sams Teach Yourself NoSQL with MongoDB in 24 Hours covers all this, and much more: Learning how NoSQL is different, when to use it, and when to use traditional RDBMSes instead Designing and implementing MongoDB databases of diverse types and sizes Storing and interacting with data via Java, PHP, Python, and Node.js/Mongoose Choosing the right NoSQL distribution model for your application Installing and configuring MongoDB Designing MongoDB data models, including collections, indexes, and GridFS Balancing consistency, performance, and durability Leveraging the immense power of Map-Reduce Administering, monitoring, securing, backing up, and repairing MongoDB databases Mastering advanced techniques such as sharding and replication Optimizing performance

In just 24 lessons of one hour or less, Sams Teach Yourself Swift in 24 Hours helps you build next-generation OS X and iOS apps with Apple’s new Swift programming language. This book’s straightforward, step-by-step approach helps you quickly master Swift’s core concepts, structure, and syntax and use Swift to write safe, powerful, modern code. In just a few hours you’ll be applying advanced features such as extensions, closures, protocols, and generics. Every lesson builds on what you’ve already learned, giving you a rock-solid foundation for real-world success. Step-by-step instructions carefully walk you through the most common Swift development tasks. Practical, hands-on examples show you how to apply what you learn. Quizzes and exercises help you test your knowledge and stretch your skills. Notes and tips point out shortcuts and solutions. Learn how to... Set up your Swift development environment Master Swift’s fundamental data types and operators Make the most of arrays and dictionaries Control program flow, modify execution paths, and iterate code Perform complex actions with functions Work with higher-order functions and closures Harness the power of structs, enums, classes, and class inheritance Customize initializers of classes, structs, and enums Implement instance methods, type methods, and advanced type functionality Take full advantage of Swift’s advanced memory allocation Extend type functionality with protocols and extensions Leverage the power of generics, chaining, and other advanced features Interoperate with Objective-C code Interact with user interfaces Take advantage of Swift’s Standard Library features and functions Who Should Read this Book Beginner-intermediate level programmers Advanced programmers who are not yet familiar with Swift can benefit

"Full color, learn how to create impressive 3D imagery!--Cover.

In just 24 sessions of one hour or less, Sams Teach Yourself Maya® in 24 Hours will help you master Autodesk Maya 2014 and use it to create outstanding 3D graphics and animations. Using this book’s straightforward, step-by-step approach, you’ll master powerful Maya 2014 tools for modeling, texturing, rigging, animating, lighting, rendering, and more. Every lesson builds on what you’ve already learned, giving you a rock-solid foundation for real-world success! Step-by-step instructions carefully walk you through the most common Maya tasks. Quizzes and exercises test your knowledge of key Maya 2014 tools at the end of each hour. Notes present interesting information related to the discussion. Tips offer advice or show you easier ways to perform tasks. Learn how to... Get comfortable with Autodesk Maya 2014's complex interface Quickly access the Maya 2014 tools you need for any task Efficiently manage your assets and files Model with polygonal geometry and NURBS curves/surfaces Unfold UVs and apply textures Create node networks in the hypershade Model highly realistic characters Utilize relationships and make nodes work together Rig your objects and characters for animation Add animated movement to your scenes Create and adjust cameras Build diverse shapes with BlendShapes Animate using dynamics and simulations Script and automate common tasks Improve realism with particles, hair/cloth effects, and more Correctly light your scenes Render your final imagery Work effectively with film Manage your projects and scene workflows more efficiently On the DVD: The accompanying DVD contains how-to videos for dozens of key Maya 2014 tasks, extensive sample art and models, and additional bonus content.

As you complete the lessons in this book, you will gain a practical understanding of how to provide rich user interactions in your web pages. You will learn how to add dynamic code that allows web pages to instantly react to mouse clicks and finger swipes, interact with back-end services to store and retrieve data from the web server, and create robust Internet applications.

Full-color figures and code appear as they do in Xcode 5. In just 24 sessions of one hour or less, you can master the Objective-C language and start using it to write powerful native applications for even the newest Macs and iOS devices! Using this book’s straightforward, step-by-step approach, you’ll get comfortable with Objective-C’s unique capabilities and Apple’s Xcode 5 development environment...make the most of Objective-C objects and messaging...work effectively with design patterns, collections, blocks, Foundation Classes, threading, Git...and a whole lot more. Every lesson builds on what you’ve already learned, giving you a rock-solid foundation for real-world success! Step-by-Step Instructions carefully walk you through the most common Objective-C development tasks. Quizzes and Exercises at the end of each chapter help you test your knowledge. Notes present information related to the discussion. Tips offer advice or show you easier ways to perform tasks. Cautions alert you to possible problems and give you advice on how to avoid them. • Use Xcode 5 to write modern Objective-C software more quickly and efficiently • Master Objective-C’s object-oriented features and techniques • Manage projects more efficiently with the Git source code repository • Write more dynamic code with Objective-C’s powerful messaging architecture • Declare classes, instance variables, properties, methods, and actions • Work with mutable and immutable data types • Organize data with collections, including arrays, dictionaries, and sets • Painlessly manage memory with Automatic Reference Counting (ARC) • Expand and extend classes with protocols, delegates, categories, and extensions • Get started with Apple’s powerful classes and frameworks • Create and work with code blocks • Manage queues and threading with Grand Central Dispatch

In just 24 sessions of one hour or less, Sams Teach Yourself Android Game Programming in 24 Hours will help you master mobile game development for Android 4. Using a straightforward, step-by-step approach, you’ll gain hands-on expertise with the entire process: from getting access to the hardware via the Android SDK to finishing a complete example game. You’ll learn to use the Android SDK and open source software to design and build fast, highly playable games for the newest Android smartphones and tablets. Every lesson builds on what you’ve already learned, giving you a rock-solid foundation for real-world success! Step-by-step instructions carefully walk you through the most common Android game programming tasks. Quizzes and exercises at the end of each chapter help you test your knowledge. By the Way notes present interesting information related to the discussion. Did You Know? tips offer advice or show you easier ways to perform tasks. Watch Out! cautions alert you to possible problems and give you advice on how to avoid them. Jonathan Harbour is a writer and instructor whose love for computers and video games dates back to the Commodore PET and Atari 2600 era. He has a Master’s in Information Systems Management. His portfolio site at http://www.jharbour.com includes a discussion forum. He also authored Sams Teach Yourself Windows Phone 7 Game Programming in 24 Hours. His love of science fiction led to the remake of a beloved classic video game with some friends, resulting in Starflight—The Lost Colony (http://www.starflightgame.com). Learn how to... Install and configure the free development tools, including the Android 4 SDK, Java Development Kit, and Eclipse (or NetBeans) Use the Android graphics system to bring your game characters to life Load and manage bitmaps, and use double buffering for better performance Incorporate timing and animation with threaded game loops Tap into the touch screen for user input Learn to use Android sensors such as the accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, light detector, and thermometer Integrate audio into your games using the media player Build your own game engine library to simplify gameplay code in your projects Animate games with sprites using atlas images and fast matrix transforms Employ object-oriented programming techniques using inheritance and data hiding Create an advanced animation system to add interesting behaviors to game objects Detect collisions and simulate realistic movement with trigonometry Experiment with an evolving engine coding technique that more naturally reflects how games are written

NoSQL database usage is growing at a stunning 50% per year, as organizations discover NoSQL's potential to address even the most challenging Big Data and real-time database problems. Every NoSQL database is different, but one is the most popular by far: MongoDB. Now, in just 24 lessons of one hour or less, you can learn how to leverage MongoDB's immense power. Each short, easy lesson builds on all that's come before, teaching NoSQL concepts and MongoDB techniques from the ground up. Sams Teach Yourself NoSQL with MongoDB in 24 Hours covers all this, and much more: Learning how NoSQL is different, when to use it, and when to use traditional RDBMSes instead Designing and implementing MongoDB databases of diverse types and sizes Storing and interacting with data via Java, PHP, Python, and Node.js/Mongoose Choosing the right NoSQL distribution model for your application Installing and configuring MongoDB Designing MongoDB data models, including collections, indexes, and GridFS Balancing consistency, performance, and durability Leveraging the immense power of Map-Reduce Administering, monitoring, securing, backing up, and repairing MongoDB databases Mastering advanced techniques such as sharding and replication Optimizing performance