Showing posts with label scripting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label scripting. Show all posts

Monad (AKA PowerShell): Introducing the MSH Command Shell and Language Review

Monad (AKA PowerShell): Introducing the MSH Command Shell and Language
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Monad (AKA PowerShell): Introducing the MSH Command Shell and Language ReviewConsidering that MONAD is a new shell and not many books are available in the market this book is a great introduction to MONAD. The author introduces the functionality with examples and he gives us details on how to learn more about the new features.
The author assumes that you know the windows command line scripting and compares that with MONAD in some instances.
Over all the book is great. I recommand this to anyone who wants to jump stat MONAD scripting.Monad (AKA PowerShell): Introducing the MSH Command Shell and Language Overview
Windows PowerShell, formerly know by its codename "Monad" and available now for Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Windows Vista, and soon for Exchange Server 2007 and MOM, is the future of Windows administration. From setting up automated build environments to managing 20,000 Exchange email clients in an organization, any tool that reduces the number of repetitive steps an administrator must perform, is a real win.Even better, PowerShell part of a major Microsoft initiative that aims to replace a host of Windows management tools with a single, unified shell. This is the promise of PowerShell and the reason IT professionals need to start learning how to use it today

Reflecting the best of legacy tools such as bash and the Korn shell, PowerShell also breaks new ground in its command language design and its use of the object-oriented .NET Framework. And there is no better way to learn how to put PowerShell to work than to get your hands on Monad, O'Reilly's innovative, hands-on introduction to the tool.This concise 200-page book is an exciting tour of some of the new capabilities that PowerShell puts into the hands of system administrators and power users, and is the perfect complement to existing PowerShell documentation.

With more than 40 hands-on activities, the book covers every angle, from using PowerShell commands and its object-oriented pipelines to querying systems, generating reports and writing scripts that automate existing tasks.Adding to the lure is the fact that the book is written by Microsoft manager, Andy Oakley with a Foreword by PowerShell architect Jeffrey Snover-so you can be certain that it's teeming with inside information. Monad lets you see for yourself how PowerShell can significantly improve your productivity.

Because the PowerShell technology has wide appeal, so, too, does this compact guide.Developers, administrators, and power users alike can all benefit from its insight.If you're someone who habitually drifts toward the c-m-d keys, knows all of the switches to most command tools, or spends time authoring batch files to solve new challenges, this book is right up your alley. And if your organization plans to upgrade soon to Exchange 2007 or MOM V3, there's no time to waste.

Breaking News: A PowerShell RC1 Update to the book is now available at no charge from the book's catalog page on oreilly.com!


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Blender 2.49 Scripting Review

Blender 2.49 Scripting
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Blender 2.49 Scripting ReviewWhile the book provides valuable information about scripting using the Blender API library under version 2.49 this library is soon to be obsolete. Version 2.55, currently in beta-testing and soon to be released, no longer support the Blender API interface to python and is replaced by the new bpy API. This book is applicable only to the current 2.49 Blender version, and will soon become obsolete with the release of 2.55
A similar reference to scripting under 2.55 using the bpy API would be very useful, but this isn't that reference. So while it may be instructive learning the Blender API from this text it doesn't address the future Blender versions. As difficult as it can be staying current with the latest software this text provides no help achieving that goal. This is particularly disappointing as the bpy API has been available for several releases of blender and even a cursory comparison or review of the alternative API would have gone a long way improving the utility of this textBlender 2.49 Scripting OverviewThe focus of the book is on practical problems and how to solve them in Python. The examples given are useful programs that try to solve real-world needs. Each chapter revolves around a single concept giving several examples gradually growing in difficulty. Each section analyses the problem first before diving into coding and gives extensive background information to enable the reader to generalize from the specific problem to a wider range of challenges. The sample code is provided as fully working examples with all key issues extensively highlighted. All sample programs are clear and concise yet nothing essential is left out and the programming style focuses on readability rather than on stylistic rigor or efficiency. This book is for users comfortable with Blender as a modeling and rendering tool who want to expand their skills to include Blender scripting to automate laborious tasks and achieve results otherwise impossible. Blender experience is essential as is some experience in Python programming.

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Windows Administration Resource Kit: Productivity Solutions for IT Professionals Review

Windows Administration Resource Kit: Productivity Solutions for IT Professionals
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Windows Administration Resource Kit: Productivity Solutions for IT Professionals ReviewI have never written a review for a book before, guess I'm just too busy or lazy (not sure which), but I just had to write something about this book. I would give it a 6th star if I could. Yes the book and topics covered are just that good! I first heard about this book through an article in Windows IT Pro magazine, another must have for system administrators. Once I read that article, I knew this book was a must have.
I am almost finished with this book and I have to say that "It has changed the way I look at and deal with Windows and Active Directory management!" The book is a great blend of technical knowledge and solutions to "Real World" issues that system and network administrators face every day. This book is helping me to reshape our entire infrastructure into a more manageable and productive environment. I thank you, my co-workers thank you, and my users thank you! If you buy this book and read through the concepts, implement the ideas that work best for you, your job is going to be so much easier and your users are going to be so much happier.
The book is massive and could be overwhelming at first look, but once you start reading into the content and concepts you start to see windows and active directory management in a new light. Each chapter builds on the previous, and Dan does a great job of making complex subjects easier to tackle (For example: How do I best organize my Active Directory in a logical easy manner?). Going through the book you get the distinct impression that Dan Holme has been in your shoes dealing with typical Active Directory issues for years and is pouring out all his real world experience onto the pages, it's almost like he is right there with you. You could spend 100 times the amount of the book on a consultant and still not get the same value and knowledge this book is going to give you!
Buy this book, in fact buy 2 and give one to a friend.Windows Administration Resource Kit: Productivity Solutions for IT Professionals OverviewGet the comprehensive, essential resource for improving Windows administrator productivity. This book delivers solutions to the common issues Windows administrators face every day. Unlike other administrator resources available that cover features and functionality of Windows Server and the Windows client operating system, this unique guide provides the tools that help you do more with less and make the most of your time. Based on a popular talk that author Dan Holme gives at conferences throughout the world, this book walks you through the process of selecting your tools, configuring your work environment, and incorporating scripts and third-party utilities into your administrative toolkit. You ll even learn how to customize and automate solutions to meet the needs of your unique Windows-based environment. Covering Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Windows XP, and Windows VistaTM, this book helps you manage your environment from end to end. The companion CD includes a fully searchable eBook, tools, and other essential job resources.
Key Book Benefits
Brings together tools and practical advice providing solutions to a wide variety of administration problems
Provides comprehensive coverage focusing on manageability, security, provisioning, and role-based management
Delivers insights from a leading expert on Windows management and productivity
Features a CD with a fully searchable eBook, tools, and essential resources

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Second Life: A Guide to Your Virtual World Review

Second Life: A Guide to Your Virtual World
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Second Life: A Guide to Your Virtual World ReviewBasically, I did the same thing a lot of other people did in Second Life. I registered, then walked away after not getting the fun of it right away. I came back to it because I needed a new creative and social outlet. Mr. Whites book approaches the problem that the Second Life folks are only now getting a handle on and solves it. By going through the chapters in whatever order, at your own pace, You can get a handle on this experience and use it to help remake your world. First and Second. Now my Second Life is all about making new friends and doing and making things with the tools and talents I can muster.... and talking to people who like dancing....while talking, and making things....
The best game engine is another human being.
Thank you Brian White.Second Life: A Guide to Your Virtual World OverviewLive your Second Life to the fullest! • Get started and get comfortable fast• Understand the culture, and avoid beginner's mistakes• Create the right look for your avatar• Master Second Life's building and texturing tools• Learn how to terraform, build, and landscape your first plot• Create your own Second Life "objects" and clothing• Attend the best Second Life virtual eventsCreate Your Virtual Life in an Incredible Online World...Right Now!Imagine a virtual landscape where everything is created and owned entirely by residents like you. Imagine a place where you can enjoy sunsets, ride a jet ski, buy land, plant a garden, get a tattoo, go sky diving, spend an evening dancing the night away, or relax at home by the fire. Picture a world vividly developed, socially dynamic, and strikingly real where you can bring previously unimaginable things to life with friends from around the globe. This is Second Life®, the hottest Internet phenomenon in years…maybe ever!Now, there's a totally real, totally independent guide to Second Life. This full-color book is as rich as Second Life itself! It's packed with insider tips, easy step-by-step techniques, and interviews with dozens of SL residents telling you what they wished they knew when they started! Brian White pulls no punches: You'll learn exactly what's great and not so great about SL...how to thrive in its unique culture, and how to create your dreams!The more time you spend in Second Life, the more useful this book will become...teaching you more advanced skills; everything from vehicle construction, Linden Scripting Language, particle systems, to creating custom animations and the new sculpted prims!Visit the companion site in Second Life to find all the textures and objects from this book as well as the contributor's gallery and other goodies: http://slurl.com/secondlife/humuli/222/123/29Contents Preface xviChapter 1 Welcome to Second Life 3Chapter 2 Exploring the New Frontier 27Chapter 3 Communication and Social Networking 47Chapter 4 Your Avatar–Your Virtual Self 67Chapter 5 Second Life Culture and Relationships 93Chapter 6 Building Basics 119Chapter 7 Advanced Textures and Clothing 171Chapter 8 Making the Magic: Scripting Basics 229Chapter 9 Land Ownership, Terraforming, and Landscaping 253Chapter 10 Particles, Vehicles, Animations, and Sculpted Prims 283Chapter 11 Photography, Music, and Movies 333Chapter 12 Practical Matters: Under the Hood of the Metaverse 347 Index 366

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VBScript, WMI, and ADSI Unleashed: Using VBScript, WMI, and ADSI to Automate Windows Administration Review

VBScript, WMI, and ADSI Unleashed: Using VBScript, WMI, and ADSI to Automate Windows Administration
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VBScript, WMI, and ADSI Unleashed: Using VBScript, WMI, and ADSI to Automate Windows Administration ReviewI found this book to be very helpful and practical with the examples given in the book. The examples have come in useful for me for basic systems administration in my Windows Server 2003 network with Active Directory. The author breaks down the example codes line by line and explains what is going on, which I found to be very helpful.
one thing I did not like was that some times the author purposely put mistakes in the code without initially telling you. Then towards the end of the section, he will ask you why the code did not work and will tell you what went wrong and why. He doesn't do this all the time, but a few times. It made me second guess myself and thought that the publisher had bad typos in the code, something familiarly seen in a lot of programming books. Good learning experience, I suppose.
Even if you are a beginner programmer wanting to learn VBscripting, I think you would be able to get the gist of VBscript by copying the examples in the book and tweaking them for your needs. This is my first VBscript book and it's definitely a keeper for me. Highly recommended!VBScript, WMI, and ADSI Unleashed: Using VBScript, WMI, and ADSI to Automate Windows Administration OverviewIf you're a Windows administrator, scripting expertise can liberate you from boring, repetitive work–so you can take on the sophisticated, high-value projects you really want. Top scripting guru Don Jones has written the definitive administrator's guide to getting results with Microsoft's key scripting technologies: VBScript, WMI, and ADSI. Jones draws on his unsurpassed experience training Windows administrators in conferences, classes, and from his enormously popular site, ScriptingAnswers.com. You'll learn how to use VBScript, WMI, and ADSI to gain administrative control over nearly every aspect of every recent Windows server or client, including Windows Server 2003, Vista, XP, 2000, and NT. As you gain experience, Jones introduces more advanced techniques, ranging from modular scripting and script encryption to integrating VBScript with HTML code. Jones concludes with a full section of ready-to-run, real-world examples–from logon/logoff scripts to automated domain and network administration, from querying WMI to creating Active Directory groups. Every script is explained line-by-line, with challenging techniques described in even greater detail.Detailed information on how to…Decide what you can script: a framework for getting started fastUnderstand how scripts are designed, assembled, and runMaster VBScript from start to finish: functions, I/O, data manipulation, program flow, and much moreUse scripting objects for tasks ranging from retrieving network information to mapping drivesUtilize FileSystemObject to manipulate the Windows filesystemWrite ADSI scripts to manipulate any directory service your company uses, from Active Directory to Novell NDSModify domain information, users, groups, and policiesQuery WMI information–from basic to advancedPlan for errors, and test and debug your scriptsBuild your own "resource kit" of reusable script componentsON THE WEB:Download all examples and source code presented in this book from ScriptingAnswers.com, where you'll also be able to post follow-up questions directly to the author in a moderated, active community.Introduction 1Part I: Introduction to Windows Administrative Scripting 11Chapter 1: Scripting Concepts and Terminology 13Chapter 2: Running Scripts 21Chapter 3: The Components of a Script 39Chapter 4: Designing a Script 55Part II: VBScript Tutorial 73Chapter 5: Functions, Objects, Variables, and More 75Chapter 6: Input and Output 101Chapter 7: Manipulating Numbers 115Chapter 8: Manipulating Strings 129Chapter 9: Manipulating Other Types of Data 145Chapter 10: Controlling the Flow of Execution 155Chapter 11: Built-In Scripting Objects 173Chapter 12: Working with the File System 193Chapter 13: Putting It All Together: Creating Your First Script from Scratch 219Part III: Windows Management Instrumentation and Active Directory Services Interface 245Chapter 14: Working with ADSI Providers 247Chapter 15: Manipulating Domains 257Chapter 16: Manipulating Users and Groups 271Chapter 17: Understanding WMI 283Chapter 18: Querying Basic WMI Information 299Chapter 19: Querying Complex WMI Information 317Chapter 20: Putting It All Together: Your First WMI/ADSI Script 335Chapter 21: Testing and Debugging WMI and ADSI Queries 357Part IV: Advanced Scripting Techniques 371Chapter 22: Modular Script Programming 373Chapter 23: Scripts Packaging and Protection 389Chapter 24: Scripting Security 399Chapter 25: Introduction to HTML Applications 409Chapter 26: Debugging Tips, Tools, and Techniques 421Part V: Ready-to-Run Examples 437Chapter 27: Logon and Logoff Scripts 439Chapter 28: Windows and Domain Administration Scripts 455Chapter 29: Network Administration Scripts 481Chapter 30: WMI and ADSI Scripts 497Appendix 509Index 523.

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Essential PowerShell Review

Essential PowerShell
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Essential PowerShell ReviewEssential PowerShell is a great way to learn PowerShell from the ground up and also as an examples-oriented reference. Coverage of the language essentials is concise, accurate, and demonstrated with examples. There are no long sections on generic programming concepts (i.e. what a variable is, what a loop is). So if you are already a programmer, this is a great book to learn PowerShell. Beyond the language essentials, the author does a great job covering third party modules and tools. There is also a surprising breadth to this book for only being ~500 pages; take a look at the table of contents. Essential PowerShell is almost a cookbook; you don't have to read it from end-to-end and many sections stand on their own.
The book could have used more coverage of using native commands (i.e. parsing the output, checking error conditions).
Be aware this book does not cover PowerShell 2.0, but it was published before 2.0 was released.Essential PowerShell OverviewUse PowerShell to Streamline and Automate Your Most Time-Consuming Windows Administration TasksWith Windows PowerShell, Microsoft brings innovative console-based system administration and scripting to Windows clients and servers. PowerShell combines the best features of traditional UNIX shells with the immense power of the .NET Framework, offering a consistent and easy-to-use replacement for both the Windows command line and the Windows Script Host. In Essential PowerShell, noted expert Holger Schwichtenberg gives Windows sysadmins all the knowledge and sample scripts they need to successfully administer production systems with PowerShell. Schwichtenberg begins by introducing the innovative PowerShell architecture, along with crucial PowerShell concepts such as pipelining and navigation. Next, he introduces the PowerShell Script Language, shows the secure execution of command sequences as scripts, and demonstrates how to use PowerShell to access essential operating system interfaces such as COM, WMI, ADSI, and ADO.NET. After you've mastered the fundamentals, Schwichtenberg presents an extensive collection of PowerShell solutions for virtually every area of day-to-day administration. For each topic, he presents dozens of self-contained examples, all downloadable from a companion Web site. He covers both Microsoft's standard PowerShell commandlets and the free commandlets available as PowerShell Community Extensions. He also presents a full chapter of tips, tricks, and troubleshooting solutions. Coverage includesUnderstanding PowerShell's components and featuresSetting up your PowerShell scripting environmentCreating and using commandletsUsing object-oriented pipelining for filtering, sorting, grouping, comparisons, calculations, and moreMastering PowerShell's uniform navigation model and using it with all types of data Programming command sequences with the PowerShell Script Language Making the most of the PowerShell console and third-party tools Managing processes, event logs, and registry entriesControlling networking, printing, and software installationManipulating Active Directory and other enterprise services with PowerShellUsing PowerShell to enforce stronger system and network securityStoring data in files, documents, and databasesPreface xvPart I: Getting Started with PowerShell 1: First Steps with Windows PowerShell 32: Commandlets 253: Pipelining 434: Advanced Pipelining 595: The PowerShell Navigation Model 816: The PowerShell Script Language 897: PowerShell Scripts 1158: Using Class Libraries 1299: PowerShell Tools 15110: Tips, Tricks and Troubleshooting 171Part II: Windows PowerShell in Action 11: File Systems 20512: Documents 23513: Registry and Software 25314: Processes and Services 26715: Computers and Hardware 28116: Networking 29517: Directory Services 31318: User and Group Management in the Active Directory 33519: Searching in the Active Directory 34920: Additional Libraries for Active Directory Administration 36121: Databases 37322: Advanced Database Operations 38923: Security Settings 40124: Advanced Security Administration 413PartIII: AppendicesAppendix A: PowerShell Commandlet Reference 429Appendix B: PowerShell 2.0 Preview 445Appendix C: Bibliography 449Index 453

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Pro Windows PowerShell Review

Pro Windows PowerShell
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Pro Windows PowerShell ReviewI've been using the command prompt (DOS for your old schoolers) since the days of MS-DOS 2.11. I thought I had done about everything a person could possibly do with the limited scripting abilities of the command prompt -- and then I happened across this book and it was like going back to school.
Windows Powershell is essentially object-oriented programming mashing up with the command line, with some extras thrown in. In this book the author shows you all the new tricks of the trade and will have you looking at ways to automate your Windows tasks in ways you never thought possible.
There are many things that we want to do on our Windows servers or XP/Vista boxes that you have to "hack" or find a third-party utility to do. With Windows Powershell a lot of those tasks can now be brought back "in house" without the need for hacks and kludges.
The nice thing about this book is that it not only talks about Powershell, it also walks you through real-life examples. It's written in many ways like an introductory programming language book would be -- but at the same time the author remembers that most readers will be IT System Admins and not programmers, so he doesn't bury the reader in programming talk to the point they are lost.
If you work in IT and deal with Windows servers you owe it to yourself to check out Windows Powershell and this book. You will find that under the hood of that Windows box is a supercharged '78 Trans-Am just waiting for you to put the pedal to the metal and experience the power!
Pro Windows PowerShell OverviewOur goal is to show how PowerShell can help script most of those tasks and reduce their burden. The book contains examples on automating typical system administration tasks: configuration, monitoring, network queries, text manipulation, and file operations. The ideas presented will be beneficial to power users needing a better shell and an automation environment, system and network administrators looking to streamline their daily activities, and software developers wishing to optimize their build and deploy process.We will jump right in and get results fast. The most important feature of the book is that it will show everything using many, specific examples that provide real value to the user. It will show "the big picture": interoperability with the outside world. Users will see examples dealing with other programs, the OS, and the network. Plus, It will introduce free and open-source tools and extensions that help us get results fast. (We are unique here - none of the competitors does that.) Powershell has proven to be a very popular area and this book has the contents and the technical expertise within to be a success.

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Creating Your World: The Official Guide to Advanced Content Creation for Second Life Review

Creating Your World: The Official Guide to Advanced Content Creation for Second Life
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Creating Your World: The Official Guide to Advanced Content Creation for Second Life ReviewThis book did not turn out to be the resource I thought it would be. It's little more than a re-hash of "The Official Guide." Everything is dealt with as an introduction to the subject, even though much of the information can be found in the previous book. Few topics are dealt with in any depth except LSL scripting. Unfortunately the scripting section is quite obviously written by a programmer who is not a teacher. Many assumptions are made about the level of knowledge of the reader who needs a previous grounding in Java or C++ to understand what the author is talking about.
Overall, this book would be fine as a stand alone, but it is NOT a companion to the Official Guide. Nor is it useful as a guide to actually making things in second life. The reader is, instead, merely given a gloss of what is possible and then sent off to experiment on his own. As much or more can be learned through in-world tutorials, web sites and You-Tube videos (which are a far better resource for learning what this book purports to teach).
If you're really interested in becoming a designer or builder in second life, this book is not your guide.Creating Your World: The Official Guide to Advanced Content Creation for Second Life OverviewEnrich your virtual existence by mastering the techniques and tactics the experts use to create jaw-dropping SL content—everything from buildings and vehicles to clothing, landscapes, and animations. This official, exclusive guide from a team of Second Life content-creation experts was written with the full support of Linden Lab and features in-depth instructions for creating beautiful content and putting it to work in-world. It's both a practical, step-by-step guide and a creative session with some of the most artistic and talented minds in the Second Life community. CD included.

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Beginning Lua Programming (Programmer to Programmer) Review

Beginning Lua Programming (Programmer to Programmer)
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Beginning Lua Programming (Programmer to Programmer) ReviewI'd like to give this book 4.5 stars, but that doesn't seem to be an option. I think quite highly of Lua and use it a lot. So I like to keep a collection of references that I can loan out to my colleagues and my students in a nut-so-subtle attempt to get them hooked. This book fulfills that role quite nicely.
I think this is an excellent book for several reasons: 1) I can loan it out both to intro students (who have not had much experience in compiling/installing software, coding anything other than toy programs, etc.) and I can loan it to colleagues who can skip all the fundamental material and yet still learn something interesting about Lua, and programming in general; 2) although it's close to 650 pages, it's 650ish pages of useful material, it doesn't achieve its bulk by being filled with gazillions of pages of on-line API documentation, and other fluff like many other intro books; 3) it has exercises (with answers in the back) for each chapter.
There are only two complaints I have with the book and neither are major. In Chapter 18 (Carrying Lua with you) there is no mention of the Lua port for PocketPC and a handful of other platforms. Although I don't use Windows much, there is a nice port of Lua that I use on an HP iPAQ. The other complaint is perhaps a little curmudgeonly: I don't like the authors' usage of the term "side-effect". While technically correct, it doesn't really align well with how most people, particularly in an intro setting, use the term.
That said, I think this is an excellent intro to Lua, contains good examples of programming in general, and I'm quite pleased to have a copy on my book collection.Beginning Lua Programming (Programmer to Programmer) OverviewThis book is for students and professionals who are intrigued by the prospect of learning and using a powerful language that provides a rich infrastructure for creating programs. No programming knowledge is necessary to benefit from this book except for the section on Lua bindings, which requires some familiarity with the C programming language. A certain comfort level with command-line operations, text editing, and directory structures is assumed.

Software developers who have experience with functions, strings, and associative arrays can skim Chapters 2 through 5 with the caveat that certain Lua colloquialisms are introduced there along with programming concepts.

Throughout the text, sections pertaining to a particular operating system are clearly marked and can be skipped by readers working on a different platform.

This book is organized to guide you through the basics of using Lua. Its structure is as follows:

Installing Lua on your system (Chapter 1)
Learning the fundamentals of programming in Lua (Chapters 2 through 10)
Reviewing standard Lua functions (Chapter 11)
Exploring application development with Lua using packages contributed by the community (Chapters 12 through 18)
Using Lua's many community resources (Chapter 19)

Chapters 2 through 10 each build on concepts that are presented in its predecessors, so a sequential reading of this part of the book is advised. The summary of Lua's built-in libraries contains examples that assume you have a good grasp of the materials presented in the first 10 chapters.

Some of the libraries and techniques presented in Chapters 12 and 13 are needed in the remaining chapters of the book. Chapters 14 through 19 are relatively independent of one another and can be read out of sequence.

You need surprisingly little in the way of computer resources to learn and use Lua. This book focuses on Windows and Unix-like (including Linux) systems, but any operating system that supports a command shell should be suitable. You'll need a text editor to prepare and save Lua scripts.

If you choose to extend Lua with libraries written in a programming language like C, you'll need a suitable software development kit. Many of these kits are freely available on the Internet but, unlike Lua, they can consume prodigious amounts of disk space and memory.

Chapter 18 discusses using Lua on a Palm Pilot. Even if you don't own or have access to one of these devices, this chapter shows how you can simulate one on the major desktop systems.


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Scripting Your World: The Official Guide to Second Life Scripting Review

Scripting Your World: The Official Guide to Second Life Scripting
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Scripting Your World: The Official Guide to Second Life Scripting ReviewAesthetically, I personally found this book is very well laid out, colourful and easy on the eyes. It contains many screenshots and even explanatory diagrams. The structure allows the advanced LSL scripter to scan read to use the book as a decent reference and is complete with keyword indexes in the appendices. All levels of LSL scripters will enjoy the side notes on many pages that explain the aspects being discussed in more detail and gives build notes and useful tips.
The content of the book itself starts with a decent introduction to the LSL scripting language. It gives seasoned programmers the information they need to get started and yet at the same time provides detailed explanations of the syntax for beginners to begin to understand.
The book goes on to cover many various examples with detailed explanations, achieving what I feel is a nice balance with the amount of example code to theory. To take one chapter as an example, it explains the settings of vehicle parameters, handling input controls from the user and setting the position and rotation of the viewer's camera plus example code to get started with. It is enough to get going on scripting a vehicle in LSL. Advancements in this area would come from experimentation by the LSL scripter herself and by reading the book's tabulated explanations of all the vehicle parameters and functions. The side notes in this chapter include a useful time-saving warning when combining two of the mechanisms for moving objects and also a note on other scripts to look out for in world and even a link to a wiki that hosts complete sailboat scripts.
What I particularly enjoyed about the book was discovering how others have used LSL scripting. I'd fully expect this book to inspire the LSL scripter into creating something that they may not have tried without having had the book to explain the workflow to them.
Overall, a very respectable and professional book. I'm very pleased with the copy I have.
Scripting Your World: The Official Guide to Second Life Scripting OverviewFind complete information about Second Life scripting and gain access to more than 50 previously unpublished ready-to-use scripts in Scripting Your World: The Official Guide to Second Life Scripting. Learn how to script Second Life behaviors, grouped into categories like avatar movement, communications, prim and object control, automation, land control, combat, special effects, environment control and physics, and interacting with the world outside of Second Life. After you read this engaging book, you will possess a solid understanding Linden Scripting Language conventions.

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Groovy and Grails Recipes (Expert's Voice in Open Source) Review

Groovy and Grails Recipes (Expert's Voice in Open Source)
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Groovy and Grails Recipes (Expert's Voice in Open Source) ReviewGroovy and Grails Recipes is an good introduction into programming with Groovy and Grails.
Personally I find the title misleading; from a "Recipes" book I would general expect typical solutions for complex problems. This book is an introduction into Groovy and Grails and not necessary a recipes book which you uses for specific problems.
Despite this the book can be used to start Groovy and Grails. It is devided into two parts (Groovy Page 3 -203) and Grails (Page 207 - 376). The Groovy part covers the basic concepts of the language, describes builders, connection with databases, testing and some handling of XML.
The Grails part covers the the creation of controllers, GSP, domain models, security and testing.
Groovy and Grails Recipes (Expert's Voice in Open Source) OverviewGroovy and Grails Recipes is set to be first book to present practical, real-life, working examples of how to achieve common programming tasks using the Groovy language and Grails framework, for Java and web developers.. The book will have a cookbook style to it and will focus on code snippets rather than theoretical explanations. It will be the first book to cover Grails version 1.0 and Groovy 1.5.Groovy and Grails Recipes is the busy developers' guide for developing applications in Groovy and Grails. Rather than boring the user with theoretical knowledge of 'yet another language/framework" it will delve straight into solving real-life problems in Groovy and Grails using easy to understand, well explained code snippets. By utilizing learning by example, users will be able to pick up on Groovy and Grails quickly and use the book as an essential reference when developing applications.

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Bash Cookbook: Solutions and Examples for Bash Users (Cookbooks (O'Reilly)) Review

Bash Cookbook: Solutions and Examples for Bash Users (Cookbooks (O'Reilly))
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Bash Cookbook: Solutions and Examples for Bash Users (Cookbooks (O'Reilly)) ReviewThis book covers the GNU Bourne Again Shell, which is a member of the Bourne family of shells that includes the original Bourne shell sh, the Korn shell ksh, and the Public Domain Korn Shell pdksh. This book is for anyone who uses a Unix or Linux system, as well as system administrators who may use several systems on any given day. Thus, there are solutions and useful sections for all levels of users including newcomers. This book is full of recipes for creating scripts and interacting with the shell that will allow you to greatly increase your productivity.
Chapter 1, "Beginning bash" covers what a shell is, why you should care about it, and then the basics of bash including how you get it on your system. The next five chapters are on the basics that you would need when working with any shell - standard I/O, command execution, shell variables, and shell logic and arithmetic. Next there are two chapters on "Intermediate Shell Tools". These chapters' recipes use some utilities that are not part of the shell, but which are so useful that it is hard to imagine using the shell without them, such as "sort" and "grep", for example. Chapter nine features recipes that allow you to find files by case, date, type, size, etc. Chapter 10, "Additional Features for Scripting" has much to do with code reuse, which is something you find even in scripting. Chapter 11, "Working with Dates and Times", seems like it would be very simple, but it's not. This chapter helps you get through the complexities of dealing with different formats for displaying the time and date and converting between various date formats.
Chapter 12, "End-User Tasks As Shell Scripts", shows you a few larger though not large examples of scripts. They are meant to give you useful, real world examples of actual uses of shell scripts beyond just system administration tasks. Chapter 13, "Parsing and Similar Tasks", is about tasks that will be familiar to programmers. It's not necessarily full of more advanced scripts than the other recipes in the book, but if you are not a programmer, these tasks might seem obscure or irrelevant to your use of bash. Topics covered include parsing HTML, setting up a database with MySQL, and both trimming and compressing whitespace. Chapter 14 is on dealing with the security of your shell scripts. Chapters 15 through 19 finish up the book starting with a chapter on advanced scripting that focuses on script portability. Chapter 16 is related to the previous chapter on portability and is concerned with configuring and customizing your bash environment. Chapter 17 is about miscellaneous items that didn't fit well into any other chapter. The subjects include capturing file metadata for recovery, sharing and logging sessions, and unzipping many ZIP files at once. Chapter 18 deals with shortcuts aimed at the limiting factor of many uses of bash - the typing speed of the user and shortcuts that cut down on the amount of typing necessary. The final chapter in the book, "Tips and Traps", deals with the common mistakes that bash users make.
All in all this is a very handy reference for a vast number of the tasks that you'll come across when scripting with the bash shell along with well-commented code. Highly recommended.Bash Cookbook: Solutions and Examples for Bash Users (Cookbooks (O'Reilly)) Overview
The key to mastering any Unix system, especially Linux and Mac OS X, is a thorough knowledge of shell scripting. Scripting is a way to harness and customize the power of any Unix system, and it's an essential skill for any Unix users, including system administrators and professional OS X developers. But beneath this simple promise lies a treacherous ocean of variations in Unix commands and standards.

bash Cookbook teaches shell scripting the way Unix masters practice the craft. It presents a variety of recipes and tricks for all levels of shell programmers so that anyone can become a proficient user of the most common Unix shell -- the bash shell -- and cygwin or other popular Unix emulation packages. Packed full of useful scripts, along with examples that explain how to create better scripts, this new cookbook gives professionals and power users everything they need to automate routine tasks and enable them to truly manage their systems -- rather than have their systems manage them.


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