Flex your development muscles with this hefty guideWrite programs using familiar workflows, deliver rich applications for Web or desktop, and integrate with a variety of application servers using ColdFusion, PHP, and others-all with the new Flex Builder 3 toolkit and the comprehensive tutorials in this packed reference. You'll learn the basics of Flex 3, then quickly start using MXML, ActionScript, CSS, and other tools to create applications that can run on any browser or operating system.Install and learn how to use Flex Builder 3Explore MXML, ActionScript 3, and the anatomy of a Flex applicationLay out Flex controls and containers, and use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to create look and feelIncorporate Advanced List controls, Flex charting components, and data entry formsIntegrate your Flex applications with a variety of application serversCreate cross-operating system desktop applications with Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR)Companion Web SiteVisit www.wiley.com/go/flex3 to access code files for the projects in the book.

With the cost of game development increasing regularly, studios are looking for innovative ways to reduce their budgets without compromising quality. At the same time, developers are looking toward more complex and customizable software, tools, and libraries to build truly next-generation games. These goals have traditionally been mutually exclusive, but open source software can solve both problems by providing game developers with free, high-quality tools and libraries for every aspect of the development process. Graphics, audio, physics, networking, and movie playback code are all available for the taking; developed, written, tested, and ready to use. This software is complemented by a wide range of end-user tools for both the programmer and artist including graphic editors, IDEs, MIDI sequencers, and 3D editors. The Game Developer's Open Source Handbook uncovers this world of open source software and teaches management and game developers what code is available, where to get it, how to incorporate it into existing processes, and, most important, how to adhere to the license agreements for redistribution. The book is for all game developers, especially the "Indies," who want to use the wealth of free software in their own games to help increase the scope of the technology available and reduce the fi nancial burden. Members of the Linux fraternity will also fi nd it a useful insight into the methods by which these libraries can be applied into constructing a game. In addition, the book will be required reading for the producers and systems analysts of game studios who want to see the big picture. This must-have resource introduces a new world of software, and a new way of developing games for the 21st Century.

The popular open source KDE desktop environment for Unix was built with Qt, a C++ class library for writing GUI applications that run on Unix, Linux, Windows 95/98, Windows 2000, and Windows NT platforms. Qt emulates the look and feel of Motif, but is much easier to use. Best of all, after you have written an application with Qt, all you have to do is recompile it to have a version that works on Windows. Qt also emulates the look and feel of Windows, so your users get native-looking interfaces.Platform independence is not the only benefit. Qt is flexible and highly optimized. You'll find that you need to write very little, if any, platform-dependent code because Qt already has what you need. And Qt is free for open source and Linux development.Although programming with Qt is straightforward and feels natural once you get the hang of it, the learning curve can be steep. Qt comes with excellent reference documentation, but beginners often find the included tutorial is not enough to really get started with Qt. That's where Programming with Qt steps in. You'll learn how to program in Qt as the book guides you through the steps of writing a simple paint application. Exercises with fully worked out answers help you deepen your understanding of the topics. The book presents all of the GUI elements in Qt, along with advice about when and how to use them, so you can make full use of the toolkit. For seasoned Qt programmers, there's also lots of information on advanced 2D transformations, drag-and-drop, writing custom image file filters, networking with the new Qt Network Extension, XML processing, Unicode handling, and more.Programming with Qt helps you get the most out of this powerful, easy-to-use, cross-platform toolkit. It's been completely updated for Qt Version 3.0 and includes entirely new information on rich text, Unicode/double byte characters, internationalization, and network programming.

Cross-Platform Development in C++ is the definitive guide to developing portable C/C++ application code that will run natively on Windows, Macintosh, and Linux/Unix platforms without compromising functionality, usability, or quality.   Long-time Mozilla and Netscape developer Syd Logan systematically addresses all the technical and management challenges associated with software portability from planning and design through coding, testing, and deployment. Drawing on his extensive experience with cross-platform development, Logan thoroughly covers issues ranging from the use of native APIs to the latest strategies for portable GUI development. Along the way, he demonstrates how to achieve feature parity while avoiding the problems inherent to traditional cross-platform development approaches.   This book will be an indispensable resource for every software professional and technical manager who is building new cross-platform software, porting existing C/C++ software, or planning software that may someday require cross-platform support.   Build Cross-Platform Applications without Compromise   Throughout the book, Logan illuminates his techniques with realistic scenarios and extensive, downloadable code examples, including a complete cross-platform GUI toolkit based on Mozilla’s XUL that you can download, modify, and learn from. Coverage includes  Policies and procedures used by Netscape, enabling them to ship Web browsers to millions of users on Windows, Mac OS, and Linux Delivering functionality and interfaces that are consistent on all platforms Understanding key similarities and differences among leading platform-specific GUI APIs, including Win32/.NET, Cocoa, and Gtk+ Determining when and when not to use native IDEs and how to limit their impact on portability Leveraging standards-based APIs, including POSIX and STL Avoiding hidden portability pitfalls associated with floating point, char types, data serialization, and types in C++ Utilizing platform abstraction libraries such as the Netscape Portable Runtime (NSPR) Establishing an effective cross-platform bug reporting and tracking system Creating builds for multiple platforms and detecting build failures across platforms when they occur Understanding the native runtime environment and its impact on installation Utilizing wxWidgets to create multi-platform GUI applications from a single code base Thoroughly testing application portability Understanding cross-platform GUI toolkit design with Trixul

Thoroughly vetted by Adobe's AIR development team, Adobe AIR 1.5 Cookbook addresses fundamentals, best practices, and topics that web developers and application designers inquire about most. The hands-on recipes in this cookbook help you solve a variety of tasks and scenarios you may encounter using Adobe AIR to build Rich Internet Applications for the desktop. It's an ideal way to learn the nuances of Adobe AIR, with practical solutions you can use right away, and detailed explanations of why and how they work. These recipes will help you:Build an AIR application with Flex, Flash, or HTML and Ajax Create a database and connect it to your application Put together native menus for PCs and Macs Work with the Service Monitor Framework Utilize the Adobe AIR Update Framework Create branded desktop experiences with custom chrome and custom application icons Distribute your AIR application with the Seamless Install Badge And more. Adobe AIR 1.5 Cookbook includes dozens of recipes from rising stars in the AIR development community-David Tucker, Rich Tretola, Marco Casario, and Koen De Weggheleire-along with the best solutions posted by visitors to the Adobe AIR Cookbook community website hosted by Adobe and O'Reilly (www.adobe.com/go/air_cookbook). If you're ready to expand your skill set with Adobe AIR, this is the book you've been waiting for.

Portable software development is writing software that runs on a broad range of computer systems instead of just one (e.g., Windows). Programmers often pick up the idioms, tricks and methodologies for developing cross-platform software through sheer trial and error, as they encounter the same mistakes and patterns of code over time. If you're an intermediate-to advanced-level programmer who'd rather cut to the chase, Write Portable Code contains the lessons, patterns and knowledge you'll need for developing cross-platform software. Write Portable Code explains how to: avoid common portability mistakes when starting out a new project, thereby saving time when a port must occur re-factor existing, non-portable code so that it can be easily transplanted to new platforms find bugs masked by platform specific behaviors Programmers who avoid becoming married to a specific development environment or target platform greatly expand the target market for their software products. Whether you design cross-platform software from the ground up or have to move large amounts of code from one platform to another, the information contained in Write Portable Code will help you achieve your goals and grow as a programmer. TOCPrefaceIntroduction Chapter 1: Preparing for Portability Chapter 2: ANSI C/C++ Chapter 3: Techniques for Portability Chapter 4: Editing and Source Control Chapter 5: Processor Differences Chapter 6: Floating Point Chapter 7: Preprocessor Chapter 8: Compiler Quirks Chapter 9: User Interaction Chapter 10: Networking Chapter 11: Operating Systems Chapter 12: Dynamic Libraries Chapter 13: Security and Permissions Chapter 14: File Systems Chapter 15: Scalability and Portability Chapter 16: Portability and Data Chapter 17: Internationalization and Localization Chapter 18: Scripting Languages Chapter 19: Cross-platform Libraries and ToolkitsAppendix A: POSH Appendix B: The Simple Audio Library Appendix C: The Rules for Portability References

Crystal Reports XI is a powerful software tool for turning raw data into corporate decision-making information. End-users and developers alike use Crystal Reports to extract and format information, and with over 9 million licenses shipped Crystal Reports is one of the most popular packages for corporate reporting. Crystal Reports XI for Developers provides a solid introduction for any report or application developer just getting started with Crystal Reports. Using this practical guide, they will learn to create presentation-quality reports from a variety of data sources, and how to add the advanced features developers need to analyze report data. Developers will learn to create simple and complex reports with the formatting and organization techniques presented in the book, and how to add filtering and summaries to crunch millions of rows of data into a concise and meaningful format. They will also learn to create their own formulas and SQL Expressions, as well as how to use advanced Crystal Reports features such as subreports, cross-tabs, charts, dynamic parameters, and more. Going beyond the sample reports that ship with the product, Crystal Reports XI for Developers is filled with step-by-step essentials and real-world examples, showing readers how to take full advantage of Crystal Reports key features so they can create information-rich, quality reports from their own data and integrate them into their own applications.

Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR) lets you use scripting languages you already know and frees you from the dull parts of development—so you can focus on creating exciting and cost-saving application user interfaces using Flash, Flex, and JavaScript. Find all the tips, techniques, and best practices you need to succeed in this comprehensive reference, including installing AIR across Windows, Mac, or Linux; learning AIR programming, development, and debugging essentials; and much more.

REALbasic Cross-Platform Application Development treats REALbasic as a serious development environment and is targeted to developers with a minimum of programming experience, but who may or may not be new to the REALbasic platform. Written by a writer and developer with extensive REALbasic experience with input and guidance from REAL Software, this book will show you how to take advantage of the new cross-platform abilities of REALbasic and teach you how to create cross-platform applications. Don't waste any more time with the other novice-oriented REALbasic books out there. Get inside this development environment with REALbasic Cross-Platform Application Development.

Particularly helpful for C programmers working with such platforms as UNIX, Windows NT, Windows 95, OS/2, and NextStep, this book has many unique features, including the first detailed look at SMP (symmetrical multiprocessing) and its role in successful parallel processing. Numerous illustrative examples are included throughout.