Description: Don't waste time on 1,000-page tomes full of syntax; this book is all you need to get ahead in XML development. Renowned web developer Sas Jacobs presents an essential guide to XML. Beginning XML with DOM and Ajax is practical and comprehensive. It includes everything you need to know to get up to speed with XML development quickly and painlessly.

Jacobs begins by presenting an overview of XML--it's syntax, rules, vocabularies, and the hows and whys of validity. She also covers the current state of XML support in today's web browsers. Next, Jacobs covers all of the basic essential uses of XML. You'll learn how to display XML data using CSS, and transform XML data using XSLT. You'll even learn about dynamic XML scripting using the XML DOM.

Description: From "America's Most Popular Photo Expert" comes this beautiful book on working and playing with the Photoshop digital darkroom.

World-famous, award-winning professional photographer and writer Rick Sammon, author of 25 books and host of 2 television programs, shares his favorite creative enhancements for turning "straight" digital pictures into more creative and imaginative images. With this book you will become not only a well-rounded photographer but also a self-motivated artist in the powerful age of digital imaging.

Description: Vertex and pixel shader programming allows graphics and game developers to create photorealistic graphics on the personal computer for the first time. And with DirectX, programmers have access to an assembly language interface to the transformation and lighting hardware (vertex shaders) and the pixel pipeline (pixel shaders). Direct3D ShaderX begins with an introduction to vertex and pixel shader programming and moves on to a wide array of specialized shader tricks contributed by 27 experts in game and graphics programming. These range from character animation and lighting to photorealistic faces and non-photorealistic rendering. Special effects shaders are also presented, including those for such effects as bubbles, rippling water, animated grass, and particle flows.

Description: In the 90s, Microsoft did the impossible and released a programming tool that let everyone write programs to run on Windows. I was so excited about that tool, Visual Basic, that I wrote a series of books on it and introduced nearly a quarter of a million people all over the world to programming.

Now Microsoft has done it again with the release of the Express tools. With nearly every home now having a computer and most people having access to the Internet, being able to take control of the computer and write your own programs is more useful and exciting than ever. So I decided to do it again.

Description: Containing 277 business case studies that illustrate nearly every aspect of Excel, this book presents real-life business problems and works them through to their solutions. In addition to exemplary solutions, each case analysis considers alternate approaches and gotchas, and includes a summary of the necessary commands and functions. Excel files that can be downloaded and worked through step-by-step are included for each case.

Description: In 2000, Jakob Nielsen, the world??�s leading expert on Web usability, published a book that changed how people think about the Web??�Designing Web Usability (New Riders). Many applauded. A few jeered. But everyone listened. The best-selling usability guru is back and has revisited his classic guide, joined forces with Web usability consultant Hoa Loranger, and created an updated companion book that covers the essential changes to the Web and usability today. Prioritizing Web Usability is the guide for anyone who wants to take their Web site(s) to next level and make usability a priority! Through the authors??� wisdom, experience, and hundreds of real-world user tests and contemporary Web site critiques, you??�ll learn about site design, user experience and usability testing, navigation and search capabilities, old guidelines and prioritizing usability issues, page design and layout, content design, and more!

Description: Digital Character Design and Painting: The Photoshop?� CS Edition, is a completely updated version of this beautifully illustrated, full-color book. In the first edition, users learned digital skills using Corel?� Painter? but in this edition, all the techniques have been updated and modified for use with Photoshop CS. The book provides a unique combination of ideas and techniques that teach both the fundamentals of character design and the skills of digital painting. It explores the key principles of design and teaches conventional artists how to enhance their traditional skills and transfer them to the Web, computer/video games, commercials, and film production work. Using a variety of tutorials and exercises, artists employ Photoshop CS to learn the techniques, methods, and artistic theory of digital painting. They explore how to create images that will be viewed in two dimensions, but actually look three-dimensional. And, they work through detailed projects on sketching, color theory, lighting, and texturing, along with specific techniques for trees and foliage, eyes, faces, hair, clothing, and fur. Using the practical ideas and techniques covered here, artists learn how to create and beautifully illustrate their own life-like or fantasy characters for games, movies, and other commercial productions.

Description: SAP Query Reporting is everything an SAP user needs to know to create your own reports in SAP using Query tools, no programming required! Designed as a hands-on learning aid, you will be able to follow along and perform each new skill learned on your own SAP system. The book's tutorial style, step-by-step instruction will teach you everything you need to know to use the SAP Query tools, including its configuration, advanced usage, and integration to Microsoft. Additionally the book gives best business practice recommendations for the technology and internal business use of the tools. Learn to:
* Understand query security, table reads, and table joins
* Perform basic and advanced calculations
* Incorporate pictures and graphics into reports
* Configure shortcuts and tran codes, schedule jobs and email PDFs
* Utilize SAP Reporting with Microsoft Office applications