Packt Publishing special offers, news, and contributed articles by the technical community. http://www.packtpub.com Moodle 2.0 includes two important new points of integration with other open source products, the Repository integration and the Portfolio integration. This article by Jason Cole, Jeanne Cole and Gavin Henrick, authors of Moodle for Business: Beginner's Guide, introduces the integration of Moodle with Mahara and GoogleDocs. Mahara is an open source e-portfolio system which has been tightly integrated with Moodle 2.0. Google Docs is a cloud-based office suite which is available for free from Google. You can get a personal account for free, or your organization can sign up for a Google Enterprise account. Integrate Moodle with Google Docs to act as both a repository and a portfolio Link Moodle with Mahara, an open source e-portfolio system http://www.packtpub.com/article/integrating-moodle-2-mahara-googledocs-for-business?utm_medium=rss Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:30:54 +0500 Moodle 2.0 includes two important new points of integration with other open source products, the Repository integration and the Portfolio integration. This article by Jason Cole, Jeanne Cole and Gavin Henrick, authors of Moodle for Business: Beginner's Guide, introduces the integration of Moodle with Alfresco. Alfresco is an open source content management system that integrates well with Moodle and can act as Moodle's content repository. In this article, we will: Set up an Alfresco content repository and tie it in with Moodle http://www.packtpub.com/article/integrating-moodle-2-alfresco-manage-content-for-business?utm_medium=rss Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:30:39 +0500 Various jQuery plugins are available to add interactive features to ASP.NET web applications. A popular plugin is the jQuery UI, built on top of the jQuery library, and consisting of handy functionalities for creating rich content in web applications. In this article by Sonal Aneel Allana, author of ASP.NET jQuery Cookbook, we will cover: Using the datepicker control Using the progress bar control Using the slider control Adding tooltips to controls http://www.packtpub.com/article/aspnet-using-jquery-ui-widgets?utm_medium=rss Fri, 29 Apr 2011 12:19:36 +0500 jQuery is a cross-browser JavaScript library designed to simplify the client-side scripting of HTML, and is the most popular JavaScript library in use today. Using the features offered by jQuery, developers are able to create dynamic web pages. This article will take a look at some tips and tricks for creating web page animations using jQuery, such as: Fading animations Globally disabling animations Using the effect API http://www.packtpub.com/article/jquery-animation-tips-tricks?utm_medium=rss Fri, 29 Apr 2011 11:45:13 +0500 Alice is a free and innovative 3D programming environment that makes it easy to create an animation for telling a story, playing an interactive game, or a video to share on the Web. Alice is a teaching tool designed as a revolutionary approach to teaching and learning introductory programming concepts. In this article by Vanesa S. Olsen, author of Alice 3 Cookbook, we will cover: Browsing galleries to search for a specific class Creating a new instance from a class in a gallery Setting initial properties for an actor Moving an actor Resizing an actor Working with multiple actors Moving an actor with relative positions Orienting an actor to a target actor http://www.packtpub.com/article/alice3-making-simple-animations-actors?utm_medium=rss Fri, 29 Apr 2011 09:41:51 +0500 Cacti 0.8 Beginner's Guide book starts off with the basics of installing and using Cacti, and advanced topics that will show how to customize and extend the core Cacti functionality. This book will help Network developers to set up Cacti on Windows and Linux, build custom plugins, use SNMP, SSH, and WMI to retrieve remote performance data and enable mobile access to their Cacti installation for their end users. It offers essential tutorials for creating advanced graphs and using plugins to create enterprise-class reports to show to customers and colleagues. http://www.packtpub.com/news/build-a-robust-network-operations-center-to-optimize-monitoring-and-graphing-of-data-using-packt's-new-cacti-book?utm_medium=rss Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:17:46 +0500 Data warehouses are becoming increasingly common as businesses have realized the need to be able to mine the information they have stored in the electronic form in order to provide a valuable insight into the operation of their business and how best to improve it. The Warehouse Builder contains a number of objects, which we can use in designing our data warehouse, that are either relational or dimensional. OWB currently supports designing a target schema only in an Oracle database. In this article by Bob Griesemer, author of Oracle Warehouse Builder 11g R2: Getting Started 2011, we will cover: Creating a target user and module OWB design objects http://www.packtpub.com/article/oracle-warehouse-builder-data-warehouse-design?utm_medium=rss Thu, 28 Apr 2011 14:07:29 +0500 This article explains designing the data warehouse target. It covers some options for defining a data warehouse target structure using relational objects (star schemas and snowflake schemas) and dimensional objects (cubes and dimensions). Some of the pros and cons of the usage of these objects are also covered. In this article by Bob Griesemer, author of Oracle Warehouse Builder 11g R2: Getting Started 2011, specifically we will cover: Dimensional design Cube and dimensions Dimensional Model Implementation Relational (star schema) Multidimensional (OLAP) Designing the ACME data warehouse Identifying dimensions Designing the cube http://www.packtpub.com/article/oracle-warehouse-builder-designing-target-structure?utm_medium=rss Thu, 28 Apr 2011 14:02:59 +0500 Many business requirements are very detailed and complex. For example, the end user community could demand that one field is updated automatically when another field has been changed. To solve this kind of requirement in Siebel CRM, developers can define so called user properties as an extension to the standard properties of object types such as business components, fields or applets. This important configuration option allows developers to define specialized application logic while staying within safe declarative boundaries. In this article by Alexander Hansal, author of Oracle Siebel CRM 8 Developer's Handbook, we will discuss the following topics: Understanding user properties Business component and field user properties Applet, control, and list column user properties Viewing user properties http://www.packtpub.com/article/oracle-siebel-crm-8-user-properties-specialized-application-logic?utm_medium=rss Thu, 28 Apr 2011 13:54:17 +0500 WordPress is a powerful and effective open source web publishing platform that enables anyone, regardless of computer skills, to create and maintain a world-class website. Millions of people worldwide have adopted WordPress, and its popularity continues to increase. In this article by Michael David, author of WordPress 3 Search Engine Optimization, we'll align your SEO strategy with the WordPress platform and help you solidify your plan. You'll need to set realistic goals and timelines for your business or website through educated investigation and analysis. Proper and thorough planning is needed to ensure that you succeed in the competitive search markets. http://www.packtpub.com/article/customizing-wordpress-settings-seo?utm_medium=rss Wed, 27 Apr 2011 16:46:32 +0500 With Microsoft's contribution of Templates, DataLink, and Globalization plugins to the jQuery library and the distribution of jQuery with Visual Studio 2010 onwards, the library has gained popularity with ASP.NET developers. jQuery can be very easily interfaced with ASP.NET controls as well as custom user controls. It can be used to validate controls using client side scripts, thus giving us an alternative for server side Validation Controls. It can be used to incorporate cool animation effects as well as to create graphic-rich pages. In this article by Sonal Aneel Allana, author of ASP.NET jQuery Cookbook, we will cover: Creating an accordion control Creating a tab control Creating draggable controls Creating dialog boxes http://www.packtpub.com/article/aspnet-creating-rich-content?utm_medium=rss Wed, 27 Apr 2011 15:10:36 +0500 The unique features of clearmake fall short in at least two extremely significant contexts: Java and MultiSite. In this article by Marc Girod and Tatiana Shpichko, authors of IBM Rational ClearCase 7.0: Master the Tools That Monitor, Analyze, and Manage Software Configurations, we will analyze the causes of the problems related to Java development, examine the existing solutions, and propose directions for extensions. http://www.packtpub.com/article/ibm-rational-clearcase-challenges-java-development?utm_medium=rss Wed, 27 Apr 2011 14:41:19 +0500 As any developer or consultant that has been tasked with filling user requests for reports is aware, ultimately the very first question after deciding on the reporting tool is "Where is my data and how do I get to it?" In this article by Christopher Liley, author of Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 Reporting, we will discuss the following: Differences between the DYNAMICS database and company databases Conventions that are helpful to know and understand when it comes to Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 data and how it is stored Using Resource Descriptions as a tool for finding data from within GP 2010 Utilizing additional tools, such as the GP 2010 SDK, to find our data http://www.packtpub.com/article/microsoft-dynamics-gp-data-management?utm_medium=rss Wed, 27 Apr 2011 12:23:02 +0500 The Siebel CRM user interface supports the end user's desire to quickly navigate forward and backward while carrying out tasks. This article by Alexander Hansal, author of Oracle Siebel CRM 8 Developer's Handbook introduces the concept of drilldowns, the thread bar, and toggle applets and shows us how these navigation elements can be configured in Siebel Tools. The article is structured as follows: Understanding drilldown objects Creating static drilldowns Creating dynamic drilldowns Configuring the thread bar Configuring toggle applets http://www.packtpub.com/article/oracle-siebel-crm-8-configuring-navigation?utm_medium=rss Tue, 26 Apr 2011 17:55:27 +0500 WordPress is a powerful and effective open source web publishing platform that enables anyone, regardless of computer skills, to create and maintain a world-class website. Millions of people worldwide have adopted WordPress, and its popularity continues to increase. The term black hat SEO generally refers to any manner by which visibility, rankings, or traffic is improved through illicit or forbidden techniques, tools, or methods. In this article by Michael David, author of WordPress 3 Search Engine Optimization, we'll take a tour through the seedy side of SEO. We'll examine a wide range of black and gray hat techniques—and why it is imperative that you avoid them. http://www.packtpub.com/article/wordpress-avoiding-black-hat-techniques?utm_medium=rss Tue, 26 Apr 2011 17:43:15 +0500 Inkscape is frequently mentioned, and lauded, as one of the best examples of open-source software available today. It is a mature, feature-full and flexible product, thanks to a very dedicated developer community. The latest version, 0.48, adds new tools, such as the Airbrush (which many have longed for), and advanced path editing, among many other additions and improvements. In this article by Mihaela Jurković and Rigel Di Scala, authors of Inkscape 0.48 Illustrator's Cookbook, we will cover: Blurring Creating irregular edges using filters Using lighting effects Creating a red wax seal Creating a brushed steel effect Creating a water surface effect Filtering all objects in a layer Creating your own filter from scratch http://www.packtpub.com/article/inkscape-svg-filter-effects?utm_medium=rss Tue, 26 Apr 2011 14:35:30 +0500 Panda3D is a game engine, which includes graphics, audio, I/O, collision detection, and other abilities relevant to the creation of 3D games. Its intended game-development language is Python and the engine itself is written in C++. Furthermore, the engine utilizes an automatic wrapper- generator to expose its complete functionality in a Python interface. http://www.packtpub.com/news/create-amazing-3d-games-using-packts-new-panda-3d-book?utm_medium=rss Tue, 26 Apr 2011 13:59:57 +0500 This article introduces the key differences between tags, user-defined tags, and modules, and teaches you to determine which is optimal for any given purpose. This article focuses on understanding the different approaches and deciding which to use to solve any particular problem. This article by Samuel Goldstein, author of CMS Made Simple Development Cookbook, covers: When to use User-Defined Tags When to use Tags When to use Modules How to create a User-Defined Tag How to create a Tag How to create a Module http://www.packtpub.com/article/content-management-system-understanding-extensions?utm_medium=rss Tue, 26 Apr 2011 13:53:43 +0500 Moodle can be a key component in meeting the challenge of providing efficient and cost effective knowledge training to the diverse set of constituents across an organization, both internally and externally. This article by Jason Cole, Jeanne Cole and Gavin Henrick, authors of Moodle for Business: Beginner's Guide, covers some of the techniques that you can employ to meet this business goal. Understand how to set up a Moodle course to cater for the wide range of roles which need product knowledge Learn how to create terminology glossaries to help accustom the participants to the new key phrases See how to organize a real-time role-playing chat between participants Learn how to create a Product Knowledge Sheet database using Moodle and how to use this in the knowledge program Use the Random Glossary Block to provide extra context to your course content http://www.packtpub.com/article/rollout-products-services-moodle-knowledge-management?utm_medium=rss Tue, 26 Apr 2011 13:08:58 +0500 For system administrators, network engineers, and security analysts, it is essential to keep a track of network traffic. Zenoss Core is an enterprise-level systems and network monitoring solution that can be as complex as you need it to be. While just about anyone can install it, turn it on, and monitor "something", Zenoss Core has a complicated interface packed with features. The interface has been drastically improved over version 2. In this article by Michael Badger, author of Zenoss Core 3.x Network and System Monitoring, we will: Organize devices by class, location, system, and group Model devices via SNMP, WMI, and Zenoss Plugins Troubleshoot our Zenoss Core data collection Administer device properties http://www.packtpub.com/article/zenoss-core-3x-device-setup-administration?utm_medium=rss Tue, 26 Apr 2011 09:56:13 +0500 IBM Lotus Quickr is team collaboration software that can help the user access and interact with the people, information and project materials they need to get their work done. http://www.packtpub.com/news/gain-a-thorough-understanding-of-IBM-Lotus-Quickr-8-5-with-Packt’s-new-book?utm_medium=rss Mon, 25 Apr 2011 17:19:05 +0500 Apart from being a great tool for developing learning activities for a wide variety of audiences, Moodle also has the capability to be used as a community and collaboration tool to meet a wide variety of business needs. In this article by Jason Cole, Jeanne Cole and Gavin Henrick, authors of Moodle for Business: Beginner's Guide, we will discuss the benefits of open source software as it applies to Moodle, explore how to install Moodle and get a basic course up and running. In this article, we shall: Discuss Moodle in the context of its use in non-education organizations Install Moodle for experimenting and learning Set up a class and add some resources and a forum Discuss a simple heuristic framework for managing a Moodle implementation http://www.packtpub.com/article/getting-started-with-moodle-2-for-business?utm_medium=rss Mon, 25 Apr 2011 16:52:29 +0500 Squid proxy server enables you to cache your web content and return it quickly on subsequent requests. In this article we will learn about the different configuration options available and the transparent and accelerated modes that enable you to focus on particular areas of your network. In this article by Kulbir Saini, author of Squid Proxy Server 3 Beginners Guide, we will cover: Configuring Squid to use DNS servers A few directives related to logging Other important or commonly used configuration directives http://www.packtpub.com/article/configuring-squid-use-dns-servers?utm_medium=rss Mon, 25 Apr 2011 15:31:40 +0500 Whether you only run one site, or are in charge of a whole network, Squid is an invaluable tool which improves performance immeasurably. Caching and performance optimization usually requires a lot of work on the developer's part, but Squid does all that for you. In this article we will learn to fine-tune our cache to achieve a better HIT ratio to save bandwidth and reduce the average page load time. In this article by Kulbir Saini, author of Squid Proxy Server 3 Beginners Guide, we will take a look at the following: Cache peers or neighbors Caching the web documents in the main memory and hard disk Tuning Squid to enhance bandwidth savings and reduce latency http://www.packtpub.com/article/squid-proxy-server-fine-tuning-achieve-better-performance?utm_medium=rss Mon, 25 Apr 2011 15:30:46 +0500 In this article by Kulbir Saini, author of Squid Proxy Server 3 Beginners Guide, we are going to learn to configure Squid according to the requirements of a given network. We will learn about the general syntax used for a Squid configuration file. Specifically, we will cover the following: Quick exposure to Squid Syntax of the configuration file HTTP port, the most important configuration directive Access Control Lists (ACLs) Controlling access to various components of Squid http://www.packtpub.com/article/how-configure-squid-proxy-server?utm_medium=rss Mon, 25 Apr 2011 15:30:02 +0500         James Pearce - James is a technologist, writer, developer & practitioner who has been working with the mobile web for over a decade. He is Senior Director of Developer Relations at Sencha. Previously he was the CTO at dotMobi and has a background in mobile startups, telecoms infrastructure and management consultancy. He speaks extensively on the topic of mobile web development, and has written books for both Wiley and Wrox. James led the development of mobiForge, DeviceAtlas and ready.mobi, and is the creator of tinySrc, the WordPress Mobile Pack, WhitherApps, modernizr-server and confess.js. http://www.packtpub.com/article/q-and-a-with-sencha?utm_medium=rss Thu, 21 Apr 2011 17:56:25 +0500 There is a huge demand for developing data applications for iPhone and Core Data is a a perfect framework for this. In this article by B.M. Harwani, author of Core Data iOS Essentials, you will have an introduction to the Core Data framework. We will cover: Core Data framework and its features The data model and how it defines the structure of data in terms of entities, properties, and their relationships Model-View-Controller (MVC) Core Data API and its main components An overview of the application that can be built and a glance at the different application views and the tasks performed when different controls in these views are selected http://www.packtpub.com/article/guide-tutorial-to-understanding-core-data-ios?utm_medium=rss Thu, 21 Apr 2011 15:37:49 +0500 Get exclusive offers on Open Source Graphic Application and Library books through out this month. For more information click here. The Blender 3D suite is probably one of the most used 3D creation and animation tools currently in existence. The reason for that popularity is both its tool set and the extraordinary fact that it can be downloaded free of charge. In this article by Colin Litster, author of Blender 2.5 Materials and Textures Cookbook, we will cover: Creating metals Using specular maps to add age and variety to man-made surface materials Adding oxidization weathering to our copper material Adding grime and artistic interest to our copper material http://www.packtpub.com/article/blender-25-simulating-manufactured-materials?utm_medium=rss Thu, 21 Apr 2011 11:56:49 +0500 Penetration Testing, sometimes abbreviated as PenTest, is a process that is followed to conduct a hardcore security assessment or audit. A methodology defines a set of rules, practices, procedures, and methods that are pursued and implemented during the course of any information security audit program with the BackTrack operating system environment. The key topics covered in this article by Shakeel Ali and Tedi Heriyanto, authors of BackTrack 4: Assuring Security by Penetration Testing, include: Discussion on two well-known types of penetration testing, Black-Box and White-Box Exhibiting clear differences between vulnerability assessment and penetration testing Explaining the industry acceptable security testing methodologies with their core functions, features, and benefits The BackTrack testing methodology incorporating the ten consecutive steps of penetration testing process The ethical dimension of how the security testing projects should be handled http://www.packtpub.com/article/backtrack4-security-penetration-testing-methodology?utm_medium=rss Wed, 20 Apr 2011 17:28:14 +0500 BlackBerry Enterprise Server version 5.0 redefines power and flexibility for IT administrators. Engineered for mission critical environments, users gain built in availability, powerful new administrative features, efficient monitoring tools and advanced security in a platform that can grow with their company. http://www.packtpub.com/news/get-most-out-blackberry-enterprise-server-5-packts-new-book?utm_medium=rss Wed, 20 Apr 2011 17:23:25 +0500 This article shows how we can add different jQuery plugins to expand the system. We also discuss about different styling effects of jQuery plugins that we can use to enhance the look and feel of our store. In this article by Tahsin Hasan, author of OpenCart 1.4 Template Design Cookbook, we will cover: Customizing the jQuery cycle plugin Modifying the side column with the jQuery cycle plugin Different transition effects of jQuery cycle plugin http://www.packtpub.com/article/opencart-themes-styling-effects-jQuery-plugins?utm_medium=rss Wed, 20 Apr 2011 16:03:30 +0500 Templates in OpenCart provide a powerful way to make your site look exactly the way you want either using a single template for the entire site or a separate template for each site section. Although it sounds like an easy task to build and maintain templates, it can be challenging to get beyond the basics and customize templates to meet your needs perfectly. In this article by Tahsin Hasan, author of OpenCart 1.4 Template Design Cookbook, we'll cover: Installing jQuery and jCarousel Displaying products with jCarousel Displaying products on jCarousel vertically http://www.packtpub.com/article/opencart-themes-using-jCarousel-plugin?utm_medium=rss Wed, 20 Apr 2011 16:02:54 +0500 Since ZBrush was released, it dramatically changed the way game art is created. It is unmatched in its speed for creating highly detailed models and thus, is widely used in the games and film industry. We could even say that if you want to be a game artist today, ZBrush is considered a standard. This article will attempt to answer some of the most frequently asked questions on ZBrush, such as: Why do we use ZBrush and why is it so widely used in the game and film industry? What are ZSpheres? What is the difference between 2D, 2.5D, and 3D images in ZBrush? http://www.packtpub.com/article/zbrush-faqs?utm_medium=rss Wed, 20 Apr 2011 13:14:39 +0500 Get exclusive offers on Open Source Graphic Application and Library books through out this month. For more information click here. Lights, shadows, and particles are some of this article's topics. Apply shader effects to models. Take control of the advanced shader generator system of Panda3D and learn how to implement your own custom shader generator. In this article by Christoph Lang, author of Panda3D game developer's cookbook, we will cover: Adding lights and shadows and Using light ramps Creating particle effects and Animating textures Creating a flashlight effect and Making objects reflect the scene Adding a custom shader generator and Applying a custom Cg shader http://www.packtpub.com/article/panda3d-game-development-scene-effects-and-shaders?utm_medium=rss Wed, 20 Apr 2011 13:13:17 +0500 I, Julian Copes, Marketing Exec for Packt Open Source will be attending the MoodleMoot UK 2011, where I will be showcasing all of the new Moodle books and the online digital library PacktLib. It would be great to meet some of the attendees and all the readers of Packt Moodle books. If you will be at MoodleMoot UK 2011, drop by the Packt stand in the Crush Hall to have a chat or to read the various books on display. http://www.packtpub.com/blog/packt-attending-moodlemoot-uk-2011?utm_medium=rss Tue, 19 Apr 2011 18:18:32 +0500 This article demonstrates the making of AJAX calls using jQuery. It describes three basic techniques of sending AJAX request to the server: via page methods, web services, and HTTP handlers. It also demonstrates the use of the Firebug add-on in Mozilla Firefox browser to investigate the AJAX request/response. In this article by Sonal Aneel Allana, author of ASP.NET jQuery Cookbook, we will cover: Setting up AJAX with ASP.NET using jQuery Using Firebug to view AJAX request/response Consuming page methods with AJAX Consuming web services with AJAX http://www.packtpub.com/article/making-ajax-calls-using-jquery?utm_medium=rss Tue, 19 Apr 2011 16:52:17 +0500 ProVision® is a product aimed at the top of the market, designed to manage thousands of objects, used by many different modelers. It has been used in numerous industries across the world. This means that local support is likely to be available. You will probably be able to find people with relevant experience and expertise to help you on your journey. Because it is relatively easy to use, organizations can get started fairly easily. In this article by Bill Aronson, author of Open Text Metastorm ProVision® 6.2 Strategy Implementation, the author will explain some general principles of modeling and the key benefits of using the ProVision® modeling solution, specifically to support business strategy. You can use this information to support your business case. http://www.packtpub.com/article/open-text-metastorm-making-business-case?utm_medium=rss Tue, 19 Apr 2011 15:13:04 +0500 This article by Atul Gupta, Sudhanshu Hate and Andrew Siemer, authors of ASP.NET 4 Social Networking, covers details on how to build a generic media management system that will allow you to host video, photos, resumes, or any number of physical files with minimal tweaking. It also addresses the issue of multi-file uploads via RIA technologies like Flash and Silverlight. In addition to that, we will build the concept of having user-specific sets of files as well as content that can be shared among many users. This article will create a basic framework from which you can easily grow to suit the file management needs of just about any community site. http://www.packtpub.com/article/creating-media-galleries-with-aspdotnet-4-social-networking?utm_medium=rss Tue, 19 Apr 2011 15:09:03 +0500   Mark Polino's Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 Cookbook proved an overwhelming success at this year's Microsoft Dynamics Convergence conference in Atlanta.  So much so that every copy in the Convergence Bookstore sold out! http://www.packtpub.com/blog/microsoft-dynamics-gp-2010-cookbook-sold-out-convergence?utm_medium=rss Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:25:30 +0500 This article by Shakeel Ali and Tedi Heriyanto, authors of BackTrack 4: Assuring Security by Penetration Testing, covers a scope process to provide necessary guidelines on formalizing the test requirements. A scope process will introduce and describe each factor that builds a practical roadmap towards test execution. This process integrates several key elements, such as gathering client requirements, preparing a test plan, profiling test boundaries, defining business objectives, and project management and scheduling. You will learn to acquire and manage the information about the target's test environment. http://www.packtpub.com/article/backtrack-4-target-scoping?utm_medium=rss Fri, 15 Apr 2011 18:34:24 +0500 jQuery is a cross-browser JavaScript library designed to simplify the client-side scripting of HTML, and is the most popular JavaScript library in use today. Using the features offered by jQuery, developers are able to create dynamic web pages. 'There's more than one way to skin a cat' was once proclaimed, and this applies to widgets as well as cats. In the previous article by Dan Wellman, author of jQuery 1.4 Animation Techniques: Beginners Guide, we saw how to animate an element's position. In this article we will add some custom styling to the widget to see how easy it is to make the widget attractive as well as functional. http://www.packtpub.com/article/jquery-14-skinning-widget?utm_medium=rss Fri, 15 Apr 2011 14:24:14 +0500 This article by Mark Lancaster, author of Oracle Application Express 4.0 with Ext JS, covers building a theme based application on Ext JS into APEX. It provides a background on APEX themes and discusses how to create an APEX theme from scratch. Instructions on how to integrate the Ext JS library into the page template are provided, together with potential issues you may encounter. This article includes: An overview of APEX themes, explaining the template types that make up a theme, as well as the benefits of separating the APEX engine, templates, and application functionality from each other. Starting out creating a APEX Theme. Building a Page Template based on the Ext.Viewport component. This covers the process of creating a template using a standalone prototype and integrating it into an APEX page template. Discussion on how JavaScript DOM manipulation can result in input items appearing outside the form element, and the consequences that result. A customized version of the Ext.Viewport is created to ensure that input items always remain with the form. http://www.packtpub.com/article/building-ext-js-theme-into-oracle-apex?utm_medium=rss Fri, 15 Apr 2011 11:40:15 +0500 jQuery is a cross-browser JavaScript library designed to simplify the client-side scripting of HTML, and is the most popular JavaScript library in use today. Using the features offered by jQuery, developers are able to create dynamic web pages. This article by Dan Wellman, author of jQuery 1.4 Animation Techniques: Beginners Guide, focuses on the animate() method, which jQuery provides for us as a means of creating custom animations not already predefined. We will see how to animate an element's position. http://www.packtpub.com/article/jquery-14-animating-elements-position?utm_medium=rss Fri, 15 Apr 2011 10:43:15 +0500 GNU/Linux is a remarkable operating system that comes with a complete development environment that is stable, reliable, and extremely powerful. The shell, being the native interface to communicate with the operating system, is capable of controlling the entire operating system. An understanding of shell scripting helps you to have better awareness of the operating system and helps you to automate most of the manual tasks with a few lines of script, saving you an enormous amount of time. Shell scripts can work with many external command-line utilities for tasks such as querying information, easy text manipulation, scheduling task running times, preparing reports, sending mails, and so on. There are numerous commands on the GNU/Linux shell, which are documented but hard to understand. In this article we will take a look at some of the tips and tricks on working with Linux Shell Script. http://www.packtpub.com/article/linux-shell-script-tips-tricks?utm_medium=rss Fri, 15 Apr 2011 09:37:33 +0500 Get exclusive offers on Open Source Graphic Application and Library books through out this month. For more information click here. The term "realistic lighting" doesn't just apply to natural light given off by the sun or moon—it also includes light given off by artificial sources including florescent lights, halogen lights, incandescent lights, and many other types of lights that are found in the world around us. It's important to understand not only how, but also why certain light sources behave as they do, so we can effectively apply the right lighting techniques to our 3D scenes. To understand how light works, in this article by Aaron W. Powell, author of Blender 2.5 Lighting and Rendering, we're going to take a look at: Basic color theory and color relationships Color temperature Various light sources Chromatic adaptation Lamp types in Blender http://www.packtpub.com/article/introduction-color-theory-lighting-basics-blender?utm_medium=rss Thu, 14 Apr 2011 16:25:09 +0500 Get set for working with Panda3D. In this article by Christoph Lang, author of Panda3D game developer's cookbook, we will install and configure the engine as well as the development tools. In this article, we will cover: Downloading and configuring NetBeans to work with Panda3D Configuring Visual Studio 2008 to work with Panda3D Understanding Panda3D's runtime configuration options Setting up the game structure Building Panda3D from source code http://www.packtpub.com/article/setting-up-panda3d-configuring-development-tools?utm_medium=rss Thu, 14 Apr 2011 12:03:21 +0500 Joomla! is one of the most popular open source content management systems. It's powerful, it's relatively easy to learn, and it's freely available, which explains why over the last few years it's become the engine behind millions and millions of websites worldwide. In January 2011, the much awaited version 1.6 was released. Joomla! 1.6 is a big step forward, introducing great new features such as a flexible content categorization system (enabling you to organize content in as many categories and subcategories as you want) and a new Access Control Levels system, allowing you to control in great detail what logged in users are allowed to see and do on the site. But there's much more to Joomla! 1.6—a huge number of improvements in usability and functionality that make it more fun, and even less hassle to create state-of-the-art, user-friendly websites. In this article we will look at some of the frequently asked questions on Joomla! 1.6. http://www.packtpub.com/article/joomla-16-faqs?utm_medium=rss Thu, 14 Apr 2011 10:47:20 +0500 Creating a navigation isn't complicated but there are a few things you have to know if you want to customize the navigation. In this article by Remo Laubacher, author of concrete5 Beginner's Guide, we'll have a deeper look at the autonav block you use to create dynamic navigation. It basically pulls a selection of pages from the sitemap and prints a hierarchical HTML structure which represents the navigation. We're going to start with information about the use of the block. Afterwards we're going to create a series of templates for the block in order to change the look and the behavior of the navigation to explain the process of building a custom navigation in concrete5. http://www.packtpub.com/article/concrete5-mastering-autonav-for-advanced-navigation?utm_medium=rss Tue, 12 Apr 2011 17:48:46 +0500 Now Available in RAW: http://www.packtpub.com/blog/new-raw-oracle-webcenter-11g-ps3-administration-cookbook-40-discount-available?utm_medium=rss Tue, 12 Apr 2011 13:50:53 +0500 In this article, we explore how Celtx lets us use sketching, storyboarding, and Adding media files. Besides, even if we are just writing a script, visualization techniques can make that a lot easier as well. Knowing where we are going is wonderful in helping us get there, eh? By the end of this article, we'll be well familiar with why and how to use these visualization features in Celtx. In this article by Ralph Roberts, author of Celtx: Open Source Screenwriting Beginner's Guide, we will learn the following: Sketching: Sketches let us diagram camera, light, character and prop placement, and the other items that we need to visually plan the setup of a scene for filming. Storyboarding: Celtx helps us build storyboards using external clipart or photos and included icons to give a visual representation of our script. We can do storyboards before writing a script, or afterwards, to help turn the script into a film or video. Add media files: Media files (photos, graphics, videos) may be attached to any of the thirty-six production categories, including wardrobe, props, and locations. http://www.packtpub.com/article/visualizing-productions-ahead-of-time-with-celtx?utm_medium=rss Tue, 12 Apr 2011 13:41:08 +0500