Packt Publishing special offers, news, and contributed articles by the technical community. http://www.packtpub.com Alfresco 3 is one of the most versatile open source Enterprise Content Management (ECM) platforms. This is a real open source alternative to commercial product such as Microsoft SharePoint and EMC Documentum. It is also very well designed and suitable to be customized and extended. The open source adoption allows developers to contribute on the project and that's why you can find more than 240 extensions in the Alfresco Forge. In this article by Ugo Cei and Piergiorgio Lucidi, authors of the book, Alfresco 3 Web Services, you will learn: How to properly design Web Scripts using the Model-View-Controller pattern How to configure a Web Script for things such as authentication, transactionality, and cacheability How clients can request a specific response format How to deploy Web Scripts in Alfresco http://www.packtpub.com/article/model-view-controller-pattern-configuring-web-scripts-alfresco Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:45:13 +0500 This article, by Vibor Cipan, author of Silverlight 4 User Interface Cookbook, deals with data input controls, primarily those related to date and time input since those data formats are somewhat specific. Fortunately, Silverlight comes with good support for these data types and implementations; design and development involving those controls is pretty straightforward. In this article we will be specifically covering: Designing date picker interface Using and implementing the calendar interface Designing time input interface Implementing star-based rating Designing list views with alternating row colors http://www.packtpub.com/article/silverlight-4-user-interface-date-and-time-input-tables-and-ratings Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:04:14 +0500 Microsoft LightSwitch is the latest standalone product from Microsoft belonging to the Visual Studio suite of products. It is expressly targeted to tech savvy but non-programmers (hobbyists) to develop line of business applications using Microsoft Databases or other sources. This is a new game plan by Microsoft to catch a wider audience as well as encourage them to use its cloud offerings. If priced right and supported well, this may help businesses to develop applications on their own or call in junior level programmers with some knowledge of individual technologies like databases, user interfaces, mouse clicks, window navigation etc. The LightSwitch Beta 1 was out on August 23rd for the general public while it has been used by MSDN members and Microsoft insiders for couple of months. This article by Jayaram Krishnaswamy shows how you may download and install this program. The article also shows how you may develop a simple database application using this product retrieving data from the Cloud hosted relational database, the SQL Azure. http://www.packtpub.com/article/microsoft-lightswitch-application-using-sql-azure-database Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:35:16 +0500 Decades ago, silent movies lit up the screen—but later, it was audio effect that brought life into them. We deal with digital audio processing quite frequently—when just playing a CD track, recording your own voice or converting songs into a different audio format. There are many libraries or multimedia frameworks available for audio processing. This article teaches some common digital audio processing techniques using Python bindings of a popular multimedia framework called GStreamer. In this article by Ninad Sathaye, author of Python Multimedia, we shall: Learn basic concepts behind GStreamer multimedia framework Use GStreamer API for audio processing Develop some simple audio processing tools for 'everyday use'. We will develop tools that will batch convert audio file formats, record an audio, and play audio files http://www.packtpub.com/article/python-multimedia-working-with-audios Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:18:43 +0500 JavaScript is an implementation of the ECMAScript language standard and is typically used to enable programmatic access to computational objects within a host environment. It can be characterized as a prototype-basedobject-orientedscripting language that is dynamic, weakly typed and has first-class functions.   http://www.packtpub.com/news/test-and-debug-javascript-easy-way-using-packt’s-new-book Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:49:21 +0500 Packt has come up with a special offer on one of its titles - Unity Game Development Essentials Build fully functional, professional 3D games with realistic environments, sound, dynamic effects, and more. Aside from offering one of the leading 3D game engines, Unity also provides a superlative development tool – a tool that can produce professional standard games for Mac, PC, and the Unity Web Player. Grab your copy NOW! You will be delighted to know that now you can get 25% off the print copy or 60% off the eBook version. If you buy both versions at the same time, you get 25% off the book and 90% off the eBook! http://www.packtpub.com/exclusive-discount-offer-unity-game-development-essentials-rss-30-aug Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:50:48 +0500 Opensource Titles Drools JBoss Rules 5.0 Developer's Guide Develop rules-based business logic using the Drools platform http://www.packtpub.com/article/backlist-campaign-sep-2010 Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:49:01 +0500 Alfresco 3 is one of the most versatile open source Enterprise Content Management (ECM) platforms. This is a real open source alternative to commercial product such as Microsoft SharePoint and EMC Documentum. It is also very well designed and suitable to be customized and extended. The open source adoption allows developers to contribute on the project and that's why you can find more than 240 extensions in the Alfresco Forge. This article by Ugo Cei and Piergiorgio Lucidi, authors of the book Alfresco 3 Web Services, takes you through an overview of REST concepts and also provides you a step-by-step example to start developing your first Web Script. http://www.packtpub.com/article/overview-rest-concepts-developing-first-web-script-alfresco Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:07:20 +0500 Packt has come up with a special offer on one of its titles -Implementing SugarCRM SugarCRM is an extensive PHP/MySQL based application but with its rich administration interfaces no programming is required to get the most of it. Grab your copy NOW! You will be delighted to know that now you can get 25% off the print copy or a 60% off the eBook version. If you buy both versions at the same time, you get 25% off the book and 90% off the eBook! http://www.packtpub.com/exclusive-discount-offer-implementing-sugarCRM-rss-30-aug Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:55:02 +0500 Attendees of this conference will consist of CMS Made Simple users of all expertise, including technology firms, marketing and advertising agencies, web designers, developers, and other users and fans of the platform. September 15th, the first day of activities, will be filled with pre-conference educational workshops discussing various topics facilitated by experts in their respective fields. These topics will consist of “Advanced Design Integration, “Instant Modules”, SEO & CMS Made Simple”, “A Beginner’s Walkthrough of CMS Made Simple”, “jQuery”, and “CMS Made Simple Extensions”. http://www.packtpub.com/news/cms-made-simple-hosts-its-annual-conference-geek-moot Fri, 27 Aug 2010 22:35:18 +0500 In the previous article we learned about Designing an Avatar in Flash Multiplayer Virtual Worlds, which specified the various techniques and methods for designing an avatar in flash multiplayer In this article, by Makzan, author of Flash Multiplayer Virtual Worlds, we'll learn how to customize an avatar. We'll specifically cover: Customizing your avatar Customizing different styles Customizing the color Adding customization to avatar class Designing a customization panel Making our customization panel Integrating the customization into SmartFoxServer http://www.packtpub.com/article/customizing-avatar-flash-multiplayer-virtual-worlds Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:16:49 +0500 In this article, by Makzan, author of Flash Multiplayer Virtual Worlds, we will discuss several important techniques for designing avatars in virtual world. We will specifically cover: Determining the direction numbers of avatars' views Rendering avatars in Flash virtual world Drawing an avatar in Flash Creating an avatar class Logging in SmartFoxServer with avatar Using user variables in virtual world Adding name to the avatar http://www.packtpub.com/article/designing-avatar-flash-multiplayer-virtual-worlds Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:58:43 +0500 In the previous article Developing an EJB 3.0 entity in WebLogic Server, we developed an EJB 3.0 entity using the Eclipse-WebLogic Server-MySQL combination. In this article by Deepak Vohra, author of EJB 3.0 Database Persistence with Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g, you will learn the following: Creating a persistence configuration file Creating a session bean Creating a test client Deploying the EJB 3.0 entity in WebLogic Server Testing the EJB 3.0 entity client http://www.packtpub.com/article/configuring-and-deploying-ejb3-entity-weblogic-server Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:26:18 +0500 Developing Entity EJBs require an application server and a relational database, and, optionally, a Java IDE to improve productivity and simplify the development. Eclipse IDE is the most commonly used open source Java IDE and MySQL database is the most commonly used open source relational database. Oracle Enterprise Pack for Eclipse (OEPE) All-In-One edition bundles a pre-configured Eclipse and Eclipse plugins. Oracle has acquired the open source MySQL database. MySQL database is available under the GPL license; a commercial license is also available without the precondition to purchase support services from Oracle. In this article by Deepak Vohra, author of EJB 3.0 Database Persistence with Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g, we shall develop an EJB 3.0 entity using the Eclipse-WebLogic Server-MySQL combination; you will learn the following: Creating a MySQL database table Configuring WebLogic Server with MySQL database Creating a JPA project in Eclipse Creating an EJB 3.0 entity http://www.packtpub.com/article/developing-ejb3-entity-weblogic-server Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:02:21 +0500 Joomla! is a fantastic way to create a dynamic CMS. Now, you want to go to the next step and interact with your users. Forms are the way you ask questions and get replies. ChronoForms is the extension that lets you do that and this article tells you how. In this article by Bob Janes, author of the book ChronoForms 1.3 for Joomla! Site Cookbook , we will cover: Using ChronoForms default style Switching styles with "Transform Form" Adding your own CSS styling Putting several inputs in one line Adding your own HTML http://www.packtpub.com/article/styling-your-joomla-form-using-chronoforms Fri, 27 Aug 2010 12:12:01 +0500 The Troux Transformation Platform comprises of Troux's traditional Enterprise Architecture and visual modeling tools. The software supports data collection, modeling, and management of architecture elements as structured in an extensible meta-model provided with the product. With a focus on Troux’s EA Repository support of The Open Group’s TOGAF methodology, the book explores the various applications of the Troux Transformation Platform and also briefs readers on how it is designed. This book walks readers through topics such as strategic alignment, application optimization, IT portfolio management, visualization, and IT governance to name a few. http://www.packtpub.com/news/generate-business-value-using-troux-transformation-platform-packt’s-new-book Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:54:59 +0500 Packt has come up with a special offer on one of its titles - Magento 1.3: PHP Developer's Guide Magento is the most powerful e-commerce solution around and has gained popularity in a short period of time. This book will show you how to develop better and do more with the Magento. By the end of the book you will be able to take your basic knowledge of Magento and turn it into something advanced that will help you develop turn your ideas for extending Magento into reality You will be delighted to know that now you can get 25% off the print copy or 60% off the eBook version. If you buy both versions at the same time, you get 25% off the book and 90% off the eBook! http://www.packtpub.com/exclusive-discount-offer-magento-13-php-developer-guide-rss-27-aug Fri, 27 Aug 2010 09:27:26 +0500 Oracle Fusion Middleware is a family name for a set of Java EE products that are integrated for SOA and web application deployment. WebLogic Server (WLS) is the Java EE container and Oracle JDeveloper the Java EE and SOA development IDE. In this article by Deepak Vohra, author of EJB 3.0 Database Persistence with Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g, we will use JDeveloper to create an EJB 3.0 application, and then we will deploy and test our application leveraging the embedded WebLogic Server that comes with JDeveloper. This makes it very easy for us to develop, deploy, and test our application. http://www.packtpub.com/article/building-ejb3-persistence-model-with-oracle-jdeveloper Fri, 27 Aug 2010 09:12:19 +0500 Packt has come up with a special offer on one of its titles - Learning Joomla! 1.5 Extension Development This book is a rapid and easy-to-follow introductory tutorial to help you use PHP code to create your first Joomla! extensions: modules, components, and plugins. Grab your copy NOW! You will be delighted to know that now you can get 25% off the print copy or 60% off the eBook version. If you buy both versions at the same time, you get 25% off the book and 90% off the eBook! http://www.packtpub.com/exclusive-discount-offer-learning-joomla-1.5-extension-developmen-rss-27-aug Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:50:37 +0500 One of the exciting features of JavaFX is its inherent support for multimedia. In the previous article we saw Manipulating Images with JavaFX. In this article by Vladimir Vivien, author of JavaFX 1.2 Application Development Cookbook, readers learn how to playback both audio and video using the Media API. This article also shows how to create practical custom playback controls. In this article, we will cover the following topics: Playing audio with MediaPlayer Playing video with MediaView Creating a media playback component http://www.packtpub.com/article/playback-audio-video-create-media-playback-component-javafx Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:22:56 +0500 In this article, by Liang Yuxian Eugene, author of JavaScript Testing, we shall learn about the following topics: The difference between validating and testing How a good code editor can help you spot validation errors What makes a code quality code Why do we need HTML and CSS to be valid before we start working on JavaScript Why JavaScript embedded in HTML may be reported as invalid Common JavaScript errors that are detected by validating JSLint and JavaScript Lint—how to use it to check your code Valid code constructs that produce validation warnings How to fix validation errors that are spotted by JSLint http://www.packtpub.com/article/syntax-validation-javascript-testing Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:11:10 +0500 Packt has come up with a special offer on one of its titles - Practical Plone 3: A Beginner's Guide to Building Powerful Websites This book will give you clear understanding of how to use Plone 3 to meet your content management needs. Starting from the basics, this book will walk you through the easy-to-use features of Plone and help you create a feature-rich website through its point-and-click feature. Grab your copy NOW! You will be delighted to know that now you can get 25% off the print copy or 60% off the eBook version. If you buy both versions at the same time, you get 25% off the book and 90% off the eBook! http://www.packtpub.com/exclusive-discount-offer-Practical-Plone-3-beginners-guide-rss-26-aug Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:13:14 +0500 Packt has come up with a special offer on one of its titles -WordPress 2.9 E-Commerce WordPress 2.9 e-Commerce focuses on the integration of WordPress with the WordPress e-Commerce plug-in, covering all aspects of building and developing an online store from scratch. Grab your copy NOW! You will be delighted to know that now you can get 25% off the print copy or a 50% off the eBook version. If you buy both versions at the same time, you get 25% off the book and 90% off the eBook! http://www.packtpub.com/ exclusive-discount-offer-wordpress-2-9-e-commerce-26th Aug Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:12:29 +0500 One of the exciting features of JavaFX is its inherent support for multimedia. JavaFX includes support for rendering of images in multiple formats and support for playback of audio and video on all platforms where JavaFX is supported. In this article by Vladimir Vivien, author of JavaFX 1.2 Application Development Cookbook, readers learn how to display and manipulate images using the Image API. In this article, we will cover the following topics: Accessing media assets Loading and displaying images with ImageView Applying effects and transformations to images Creating image effects with blending http://www.packtpub.com/article/manipulating-images-with-javafx Wed, 25 Aug 2010 17:49:44 +0500 Packt has come up with a special offer on one of its titles - Joomla! E-Commerce with VirtueMart This book demonstrates the setting up of an on-line Joomla! e-commerce site from scratch using VirtueMart. It teaches all the aspects of quickly setting up a feature-packed, easy-to-build e-commerce site—from basic installation and configuration of Joomla and VirtueMart. Grab your copy NOW! You will be delighted to know that now you can get 25% off the print copy or 60% off the eBook version. If you buy both versions at the same time, you get 25% off the book and 90% off the eBook! http://www.packtpub.com/joomla-e-commerce-with-virtuemart-1-1-x-rss-25-aug Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:11:44 +0500 This article by Richard J. Reese, author of the book Troux Enterprise Architecture Solutions, explores an aspect of Enterprise Architecture that is not written about a great deal. There are as many models for running the EA function as there are opinions about the topic. This article provides a brief introduction to the following topics: Setting the EA charter Staffing the function Sample job descriptions Management metrics These topics are provided as representative samples of how the EA function can be managed within a business or agency. There is no "best way" to organize the EA function. There are, however, some management principles that have worked well for many organizations, and these are presented next. http://www.packtpub.com/article/troux-enterprise-architecture-managing-ea-function Wed, 25 Aug 2010 15:32:31 +0500 Packt has come up with a special offer on one of its titles - JasperReports for Java Developers The book steers you through each point of report setup, to creating, designing, formatting, and exporting reports with data from a wide range of datasources, and integrating JasperReports with other Java frameworks. Grab your copy NOW!   You will be delighted to know that now you can get 25% off the print copy or a 60% off the eBook version. If you buy both versions at the same time, you get 25% off the book and 90% off the eBook! http://www.packtpub.com/exclusive-discount-offer-jasper-reports-for-java-developers-rss-25-aug Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:47:47 +0500 In this article, by Liang Yuxian Eugene, author of JavaScript Testing Beginner's Guide, we'll briefly describe what each type of built-in object is, along with its syntax, before we show some examples of how each of the built-in objects work. Do take note that the alert messages, which we will be using sparingly in the examples, are based on the Firefox browser. If you try the code on Internet Explorer, you might see different error messages. In this article we will be specifically covering: The Error object The RangeError object The ReferenceError object The TypeError object The SyntaxError object The URIError object The EvalError object http://www.packtpub.com/article/trapping-errors-using-built-objects-javascript-testing Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:11:50 +0500 Enabling a store to accept credit cards online and other alternative payment methods for customers is vital for high availability of an online store. In this article by Murat Yilmaz, author of OpenCart 1.4 Beginner's Guide, we shall learn: The basics of online credit card processing Merchant account Payment gateway PayPal as a payment method The differences between several PayPal services Bank Transfer, Cheque or Money Order, Cash on Delivery payment options We should clearly understand the three core elements of accepting credit card payments for an online store before starting on the details of online credit card processing. http://www.packtpub.com/article/setting-payment-model-opencart Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:04:59 +0500 In this article, by Liang Yuxian Eugene, author of JavaScript Testing Beginner's Guide, we will learn more about JavaScript testing. More specifically, we'll learn how to test more complex code, where there will be more interactions between entities. More specifically, we'll cover the following: Issues with combining scripts Using JavaScript libraries Deliberately throwing your own JavaScript errors http://www.packtpub.com/article/basics-exception-handling-mechanism-javascript-testing Wed, 25 Aug 2010 12:49:05 +0500 One of the most dominant Internet services today is the social networking service. A social networking service is an Internet service that models social relationships among people. Essentially it consists of a user profile, his or her social links, and a variety of additional services. Most social networking services are web-based and provide various ways for users to interact over the Internet, including sharing content and communications. Facebook is the most dominant social networking service till date, with 400 million active users, 5 billion pieces of content shared each week, and more than 100 million active users concurrently accessing Facebook through their mobile devices. It is also the most widespread, with 70 percent of its users from outside of US, its home market. According to a report by the Nielsen Company, in January 2010, the amount of time an average person spent on Facebook is more than seven hours per month, which amounts to more than 14 minutes per day. If you lump together the time spent on Google, Yahoo!, YouTube, Bing, Wikipedia, and Amazon, it still doesn't beat Facebook! In the previous article we designed and created the Facebook clone Colony. In this article by Chang Sau Sheong, author of the book Cloning Internet Applications with Ruby, we will take a look at the data model used in cloning Facebook. http://www.packtpub.com/article/building-facebook-clone-using-ruby Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:52:54 +0500 One of the most dominant Internet services today is the social networking service. A social networking service is an Internet service that models social relationships among people. Essentially it consists of a user profile, his or her social links, and a variety of additional services. Most social networking services are web-based and provide various ways for users to interact over the Internet, including sharing content and communications. Facebook is the most dominant social networking service till date, with 400 million active users, 5 billion pieces of content shared each week, and more than 100 million active users concurrently accessing Facebook through their mobile devices. It is also the most widespread, with 70 percent of its users from outside of US, its home market. According to a report by the Nielsen Company, in January 2010, the amount of time an average person spent on Facebook is more than seven hours per month, which amounts to more than 14 minutes per day. If you lump together the time spent on Google, Yahoo!, YouTube, Bing, Wikipedia, and Amazon, it still doesn't beat Facebook! In this article by Chang Sau Sheong, author of the book Cloning Internet Applications with Ruby, we will be cloning Facebook and creating an application called Colony, which has the basic but essential features of Facebook. http://www.packtpub.com/article/designing-facebook-clone-creating-colony-using-ruby Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:21:19 +0500 In the previous articles IBM WebSphere MQ commands and MQ Listener, Channel and Queue Management, we illustrated the working and setup of WebSphere MQ and we also took a look at how we manage the WebSphere MQ Listeners, channels and queues respectively. In this article by Pav Kumar-Chatterjee, author of IBM InfoSphere Replication Server and Data Event Publisher, we will take a look at the following: MQ sample programs Server Client Dead Letter Queue handler WebSphere MQ message format MQ error messages http://www.packtpub.com/article/websphere-mq-sample-programs Wed, 25 Aug 2010 10:35:11 +0500 The previous article, IBM WebSphere MQ commands, illustrated the working and setup of WebSphere MQ. In this article by Pav Kumar-Chatterjee, author of IBM InfoSphere Replication Server and Data Event Publisher, we look at how we manage the MQ Listeners, WebSphere MQ channels and WebSphere MQ queues. http://www.packtpub.com/article/mq-listener-channel-queue-management Wed, 25 Aug 2010 10:33:58 +0500 This article illustrates the working and setup of WebSphere MQ. In this article by Pav Kumar-Chatterjee, author of IBM InfoSphere Replication Server and Data Event Publisher, we will look at the WebSphere MQ commands we need to set up and administer the MQ environment. In this article we will cover the following: MQ queues WebSphere MQ commands Create/start/stop a Queue Manager Issuing commands to a Queue Manager http://www.packtpub.com/article/ibm-websphere-mq-commands Wed, 25 Aug 2010 10:33:36 +0500 Packt’s new electronic platform, built and developed with UK-based Bluetel Solutions, offers users instant access to its entire book catalogue whether at home, work or on the move. Readers can search the entire library of books for specific content, bookmark pages, add attachments and give feedback at the click of a mouse.  “PacktLib is an exciting new platform for Packt as it represents the fastest and most comprehensive way of accessing our extensive library of books” said Damian Carvill, Marketing Manager at Packt.  http://www.packtpub.com/news/over-400-books-click-packt’s-online-digital-book-library-goes-live Tue, 24 Aug 2010 20:39:54 +0500   Packt have a great range of new Microsoft releases, for further information click on the links below. Also you might want to have a look at our all new offers on multiple books purchases, and pick up a bundle of these books. http://www.packtpub.com/article/all-new-microsoft-books-packt Tue, 24 Aug 2010 20:35:08 +0500 It is wise to update our OpenCart environment to the latest version regularly. It protects our system against security vulnerabilities and allows us to use new features. It is also possible that the new OpenCart version will have several bug fixes. Moreover, new versions can have new bugs. Because of this, it is a common practice to wait while a version with major changes matures and gets rid of serious bugs with minor release fixes. In this article by Murat Yilmaz, author of OpenCart 1.4 Beginner's Guide, we shall learn about: Making a backup of current OpenCart system Downloading the latest OpenCart version Uploading the new files to a server Running the upgrade script Checking whether everything works as expected or not Restoring the OpenCart system if an upgrade fails or has serious problems http://www.packtpub.com/article/upgrading-opencart Mon, 23 Aug 2010 14:55:09 +0500 In this article, by by Bhavin (Vin) Patel, author of Drupal 6 Panels Cookbook, we will cover: Making a new front page using Views and Panels Creating a node override Overriding a node edit form Using Panels with feeds Using Mini panels http://www.packtpub.com/article/implementing-panels-drupal-6 Mon, 23 Aug 2010 13:38:34 +0500 Ruby is a dynamic and general purpose object-oriented programming language that combines syntax inspired by Perl with Smalltalk-like features. It was influenced primarily by Perl, Smalltalk, Eiffel, and Lisp. It supports multiple programming paradigms. Ruby also has a dynamic type system and automatic memory management; it is therefore similar in various ways to Python, Perl, Lisp, Dylan, Pike, and CLU. http://www.packtpub.com/news/make-clones-applications-web-using-packt’s-new-ruby-book Mon, 23 Aug 2010 12:22:49 +0500 PrestaShop is a free, open source e-commerce solution which is based on the Smarty template engine. Realized in PHP MySQL, PrestaShop is a really modular and customizable solution that makes extensive use of AJAX in the admin panel, whereas module blocks can be easily added to provide extra functionality. PrestaShop is a hidden gem, which has many features that other known online shopping cart solutions don’t have.PrestaShop 1.3 Theming – Beginner's Guide starts off by exploring the various ways of changing the looks (including modules) of a PrestaShop store and explaining the essential syntaxes to control this look. Additionally, this book describes the PrestaShop architecture and provides users with the knowledge to make advanced changes in order to achieve highly specific outcomes. http://www.packtpub.com/news/develop-flexible-and-powerful-themes-prestashop-using-packts-new-book Mon, 23 Aug 2010 12:16:20 +0500 In this article, by Bhavin (Vin) Patel, author of Drupal 6 Panels Cookbook, we will learn about getting started with Drupal 6 panels. We will specifically cover: Setting up Ctools and Panels Upgrading from Panels 2 to Panels 3.0 Adding a custom Panels page Adding a custom Panels node Adding Mini panels Managing pages via the Panels dashboard http://www.packtpub.com/article/getting-started-drupal-6-panels Fri, 20 Aug 2010 17:29:16 +0500 Packt has come up with a special offer on one of its titles - Moodle Administration. This book is a complete, practical guide to administering Moodle sites. It covers how to set up Moodle in any learning environment, configuration and day-to-day admin tasks, as well as advanced options for customizing and extending Moodle.Grab your copy NOW! You will be delighted to know that now you can get 25% off the print copy or 60% off the eBook version. If you buy both versions at the same time, you get 25% off the book and 90% off the eBook! http://www.packtpub.com/exclusive-discount-offer-moodle-administration-rss-20-aug Fri, 20 Aug 2010 17:22:27 +0500 Joomla! is a fantastic way to create a dynamic CMS. Now, you want to go to the next step and interact with your users. Forms are the way you ask questions and get replies. ChronoForms is the extension that lets you do that and this article tells you how. In this article by Bob Janes, author of the book ChronoForms 1.3 for Joomla! Site Cookbook , we will cover: Adding a validated checkbox Adding an "other" box to a drop-down Sending an SMS message on submission Signing up to a newsletter service Adding a conversion-tracking script http://www.packtpub.com/article/adding-features-to-joomla-form-using-chronoforms Fri, 20 Aug 2010 15:00:58 +0500 Python is a programming language that lets programmers work more quickly and integrate systems more effectively. Programmers can learn to use Python and see almost immediate gains in productivity and lower maintenance costs. This book introduces the terminology of the object oriented paradigm, focusing on object oriented design with step-by-step examples. It covers topics from simple inheritance, one of the most useful tools in the object oriented programmer's toolbox, all the way through to cooperative inheritance, one of the most complicated. http://www.packtpub.com/news/harness-power-python-3-objects-using-new-book-packt Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:07:54 +0500 Microsoft Silverlight is a free plug-in powered by the .NET framework that is compatible across multiple browsers, devices and operating systems to bring a new level of interactivity wherever the Web works. With support for advanced data integration, multithreading, HD video using IIS Smooth Streaming, and built in content protection, Silverlight enables online and offline applications for a broad range of business and consumer scenarios. http://www.packtpub.com/news/integrate-silverlight-share-point-using-new-book-packt Fri, 20 Aug 2010 08:46:04 +0500 This article, by Karen Hooper, author of IBM Lotus Notes 8.5, helps us understand mail in more detail and will assist us with becoming more efficient in how we use Lotus Notes mail. It teaches us to use the basic features of Lotus Notes mail. In this article, we will discuss the following topics: Accessing mail in Lotus Notes Creating and replying to messages Addressing messages http://www.packtpub.com/article/mail-basics-ibm-lotus-notes-85 Thu, 19 Aug 2010 16:50:06 +0500 Packt has come up with a special offer on one of its titles - jQuery UI 1.7: The User Interface Library for jQuery In this book, you'll learn how each component can be initialized in a basic default implementation and then see how easy it is to customize its appearance and configure its behavior to tailor it to the requirements of your application. You'll look at the configuration options and the methods exposed by each component's API to see how these can be used to bring out the best of the library. Grab your copy NOW! http://www.packtpub.com/exclusive-discount-offer-jquery-ui-17-rss-19-aug Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:59:30 +0500 In this article, by Karen Hooper, author of IBM Lotus Notes 8.5,we will delve into what a feed is and how to set them up in Lotus Notes. We will also look at how to view feeds. Then we will see how to set up our feeds so that we always receive the latest content from the websites we are interested in. To summarize, this article will cover: What are feeds How to add feeds Viewing feeds How to manage our feeds http://www.packtpub.com/article/feeds-ibm-lotus-notes-85 Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:09:24 +0500 WordPress is an open source blog publishing application powered by PHP and MySQL which can also be used for content management. First released in May 2003 by Matt Mullenweg as a fork of b2/cafelog, it has many features including a workflow, a plugin architecture, anda templating system. Used by over 2% of the 10,000 biggest websites, WordPress is the most popular blog software that’s in use today. http://www.packtpub.com/news/build-several-wordpress-powered-websites-using-packts-new-book Thu, 19 Aug 2010 11:05:54 +0500