Books about Cross platform from Amazon.com

Flex your development muscles with this hefty guide

Write 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 3
• Explore MXML, ActionScript 3, and the anatomy of a Flex application
• Lay out Flex controls and containers, and use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to create look and feel
• Incorporate Advanced List controls, Flex charting components, and data entry forms
• Integrate your Flex applications with a variety of application servers
• Create cross-operating system desktop applications with Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR)

Companion Web Site
Visit www.wiley.com/go/flex3 to access code files for the projects in the book..
Price: $24.11 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Thoroughly vetted by Adobe's AIR development team, Adobe AIR 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 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..
Price: $23.15 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Adobe AIR is a revolutionary technology that blurs the line between the desktop and the web. The AIR Bible will get developers up and running building simple AIR application, then take them through all aspects of the new API. The authors have a wealth of experience in building Rich Internet Applications using Flex, Flash, HTML, and Ajax. They will bring their experience to the table walking the reader through application programming topics and demystifying the techniques developers use to build the kind of complex application that readers are sure to want to build with this exciting new technology..
Price: $21.78 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Covers version 1.5 of Adobe AIR

 

Written to help you hit the ground running, this book teaches you how to build state-of-the-art rich desktop applications on the breakthrough Adobe AIR platform

 

Stacy Tyler Young, Michael Givens, and Dimitrios Gianninas illustrate the power of this technology through practical application examples based on the official 1.5 release of Adobe AIR. You’ll discover how Adobe AIR helps you solve problems you just couldn’t solve before by extending the reach of your web applications onto users’ desktops. Building on your existing knowledge of Adobe Flex, HTML, JavaScript, and Ajax software, you’ll master the powerful Adobe AIR platform--moving quickly from task-oriented examples to larger-scale, real-world projects. The authors don’t just cover coding--they help you maximize your effectiveness throughout the entire development lifecycle via design patterns, frameworks, build process, continuous integration, and automated testing.

 

If you’re ready to build the next generation of rich hybrid desktop applications, Adobe AIR is the development platform you’ve been searching for...and this is the book you need to kick-start new projects using this exciting new technology.

 

Detailed information on how to...

• Install and configure your Adobe AIR development environment
• Build the next generation web/desktop hybrid applications to run on Adobe AIR
• Add new desktop capabilities to your web applications such as native windows, local file I/O, and client-side databases
• Create HTML/Adobe Flex mash-up applications
• Push data to Adobe AIR clients using BlazeDS, an open source Java remoting and messaging technology
• Package, distribute, and update Adobe AIR applications
• Work with display objects in 3D space by leveraging Adobe Flash Player 10
• Build Adobe AIR applications using common frameworks like Cairngorm
• Create automated builds using Apache Ant, complete with FlexUnit testing strategies
• Create a peer-to-peer photo-sharing application by combining Adobe AIR and Java

Part I       Getting Started with Adobe AIR

1         Introduction to Adobe AIR 9

2         Setting Up the Development Environment 15

3         Creating an Adobe AIR Application 29

4         Debugging Adobe AIR Applications 51

Part II       Building Adobe AIR Applications

5         Working with Windows 67

6         Working with Screens 89

7         Working with Files and Directories 101

8         Understanding the Drag-and-Drop API 115

9         Working with Copy and Paste 129

10       Working with Native Menus 159

11       Adding User Notifications 177

12       Working with Local Databases 189

13       Understanding Networking and Local Connections 213

14       Working with Adobe Flex AIR Components 251

Part III       Securing Adobe AIR Applications

15       Understanding Security Sandboxes 263

16       Using the Encrypted Local Store 273

Part IV       Deploying Adobe AIR Applications

17       Distributing Adobe AIR Applications 283

18       Updating Adobe AIR Applications 309

Part V       Architecting Adobe AIR Applications

19       Introduction to Frameworks and Design Patterns 321

20       Building Adobe AIR Applications Using the Cairngorm Microarchitecture 335

Part VI       Agile Development with Adobe AIR

21       Creating a Build Process 359

22       Incorporating Unit Testing 373

23       Continuous Integration with Adobe AIR 393

Part VII       Real-World Projects

24       Contact Manager with Integrated Yahoo! Maps 411

25       Peer-to-Peer Photo Sharing Using Adobe AIR, Bonjour, and Java 421

26       Building a Video Distribution System 427

Part VIII       Adobe AIR 1.5 and Adobe Flash 10 Extras

27       Using Adobe Flash 10 Features in Adobe AIR 439

Appendices

A        Adobe AIR Resources for Developers 451

B        Adobe AIR API Reference Poster (Downloadable) 455

C        Downloading Source Code for Adobe AIR Programming Unleashed 457

Index 463

 

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Price: $21.85 [Notify me when price goes down.]

With many of today’s games being released simultaneously on all platforms, the need for a good cross-platform development strategy is essential Cross-Platform Game Programming covers this rarely discussed area and provides the techniques needed to develop your games effectively. It explains the plethora of problems that exist within every cross-platform game, and gives you the understanding and ability needed to solve them. It also teaches you how to write code that behaves identically on all machines.

In addition, the book explains why standard libraries are not standard enough, and covers the nuances between compilers, debuggers, and operating systems. Throughout the book, how-to guidelines are provided for using the same code to handle different hardware specifications without change for ported games, or those being build to work cross-platform from the ground up. It helps senior and lead programmers determine where the platform-specific features should start and end, and provides methods for achieving this. It also includes support for those using middleware by demonstrating how to write code that will run identically on different machines, despite the platform making use of the same APIs. Because this book teaches the methods, not the API, it scales well for future platforms and empowers you to create your own designs. • BuildTools – Jam, the cross-platform build tool covered in Chapter 11 as an alternative to Makefiles • Graphics – OpenGL, GLUT, and Microsoft DirectX SDK • Utility Libraries – STLport, Boost, POSIX threads for Windows, and PLib • Scripting – Lua, source for the Lua interpreter and Lua compiler, and the basic Lua core required by both

System Requirements IBM PC or 100% compatible, 128MB RAM (256MB recommended), 100MB of available hard-disk space (500MB additional space is required for the full DirectX SDK), and a copy of Microsoft Visual C++ version 6 or above. An Intel Pentium 90 Processor is required, although Pentium II or higher is recommended for the majority of the code. A Pentium III, 1 GHz is recommended for the DirectX SDK. Windows 98 SE or later is required with a VGA or higher-resolution monitor (Super VGA recommended). The DirectX SDK requires a DX9-compatible graphics card with suitable drivers and OpenGL..
Price: $7.80 [Notify me when price goes down.]

As an object-oriented language with powerful text processing capabilities, Python is an ideal language for manipulating XML. Python & XML provides you with a solid foundation for using these two languages together. Loaded with practical examples, the book highlights common application tasks, so that you can learn by doing. The book starts with the basics then quickly progresses to complex topics, like transforming XML with XSLT, querying XML with XPath, and working with XML dialects and validation. It also covers the more advanced issues, such as SOAP and distributed web services, and explores the use of Python to create scalable XML streams between distributed applications. If you are a Python programmer who wants to incorporate XML into your skill set, this is the book for you..
Price: $21.58 [Notify me when price goes down.]

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

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Price: $37.01 [Notify me when price goes down.]

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..
Price: $6.60 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Sams Teach Yourself Adobe® AIR™ Programming in 24 Hours

 

Michael Givens

 

Covers version 1.5 of Adobe AIR

 

 

In just 24 sessions of one hour or less, you will be up and running with Adobe AIR 1.5. Using a straightforward, step-by-step approach, each lesson builds upon a real-world foundation allowing you to learn the essentials of Adobe AIR from the ground up.

 

Step-by-step instructions carefully walk you through the most common Adobe AIR 1.5 tasks.

 

Quizzes and Exercises at the end of each chapter help you test your knowledge of Adobe AIR 1.5.

 

By the Way notes present interesting information related to the discussion.

 

Did You Know? tips offer advice or show you alternative ways to do something.

 

Watch Out! cautions alert you to possible problems and give you advice on how to avoid them.

 

Learn how to…

• Utilize the AIR SDK
• Write an AIR application with HTML
• Write an AIR application with Flash CS3 or Dreamweaver CS3
• Write an AIR application with PDF integration
• Debug an AIR application
• Distribute an AIR application
• Use the AIR APIs
• Leverage server-side features for AIR

 

Michael Givens is the CTO of U Saw It Enterprises, a Web technology consulting firm based in Spring, Texas. He is an Adobe Community Expert and an Adobe Corporate Champion known to share his experience and evangelism of all things Adobe. Certified in ColdFusion 5 and as an Advanced CFMX Developer, he has been using ColdFusion since the days of Allaire Spectra and Flex since it was known as Royale. He is the coauthor of Adobe AIR Programming Unleashed (Sams Publishing) and has written articles for the ColdFusion Developer’s Journal and the Flex Developer’s Journal. He also wrote a digital Short Cut titled Apollo in Flight for Sams Publishing. Michael blogs regularly at www.flexination.info.

 

Category: Programming/Application Development

Covers: Adobe AIR

User Level: Beginning–Intermediate

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Price: $17.91 [Notify me when price goes down.]