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Moving to Microsoft Visual Studio 2010

2010-10-25T22:45:00.000-07:00

Moving to Microsoft Visual Studio 2010

Developers, we’re pleased to announce another free offering: Moving to Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 (Microsoft Press, 2011; 336 pages), written by Patrice Pelland, Pascal Paré, and Ken Haines.

Here’s a little bit about the authors: Ken Haines is a software development engineer at Microsoft, working in the Consumer and Online Division. He has a passion for distributed applications in the cloud and strives to help customers and partners find the right solution for their needs. Pascal Paré has worked at Microsoft since 2006, where he has held positions as a software engineer on both development and testing teams. Patrice Pelland is a principal development manager at Microsoft, working in the Consumer and Online Division. He leads a development team that is focused on innovation and incubation across all Microsoft consumer products.

Moving to Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 was written with three audiences in mind:

Part I is for developers moving from Visual Studio 2003 to Visual Studio 2010.

Part II is for developers moving from Visual Studio 2005.

And Part III is for developers moving from Visual Studio 2008.

Please see this post for an extensive description of the book’s content, including “Who Is This Book for?,” “What Is the Book About?,” and “How Will This Book Help Me Move to Visual Studio 2010?” (Note that the links in that post are to a draft preview version of the book. Links to the final and complete book appear immediately below in this post.)

You can download a PDF of the book here.

You can download an XPS of the book here.

And you can download the book’s sample code here.
Enjoy!

New Files Added

2010-10-21T06:16:00.000-07:00

New Files Added

teaching with c sharp.doc
Rob Miles CSharp Yellow Book 2010.pdf
Rob Miles CSharp Yellow Book 2009.pdf
Rob Miles CSharp Yellow Book 2008.pdf
Microsoft Application Architecture Guide, 2nd Edition.pdf
Improving .NET Application Performance and Scalability.pdf
FoundationsOfProgramming.pdf
C Sharp from Java Orange Book 2009.pdf
c sharp from java.doc
cation Architecture Guide v2.pdf

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Flash 8 - The Missing Manual (2006)

2008-10-02T00:45:00.000-07:00

What's New in Flash 8
Most of the improvements you see in Flash 8 compared to the previous version (Flash MX 2004) have to do with performancealways a good thing. But in addition, Macromedia also added a few usability tweaks, as well as a couple of new image-editing features.Here's a short list of the differences in Flash 8 compared to Flash MX 2004:Improved performance. Improvements include better text anti-aliasing (smoother-looking text) and the ability to cache movie clips as bitmaps at runtime (and so cut down on playback time for super-complex vector graphics, which you learn about in Chapter 2). The big news: Macromedia added a new, faster, more efficient video codec, or video compression algorithm to Flash Player 8, which comes with both Flash Basic 8 and Flash Professional 8 as well as most Web browsers and operating systems (see the box on Section 3.1). A more efficient codec means improved download and playback of any video clips you add to your animations.Improved interface. In Flash 8, you can drag a text block's resize handle and drag to expand it, which is simpler than having to resize the text block using the Property Inspector the way you had to in Flash MX 2004. A new drop-down list in the Flash 8 Library panel shows all other open libraries, making it easier to exchange imported media files and symbols between Flash documents. And scripting help is back in the form of the Scripting Assist mode. If you're running a Mac, you'll appreciate that the Mac version of Flash 8 lets you see all your open Flash documents in a single tabbed window, similar to the way you work with multiple documents in Flash when you're running Windows.New image editing features. Flash 8 introduces object drawing mode (Chapter 2), which lets you tell Flash whether you want it to treat shapes and their outlines as a unit (the way most people think of them) or separately. Flash 8 also lets you add sharp, mitered corners to rectangular objects. And Flash Professional 8 includes additional graphics effects (see the previous page).Improved support for video editing (Flash Professional 8 only). Both the Video Exporter and Video Encoder (see Section 3.2) let you compress video clips using the new and improved codecOn2 Technologies' VP6in addition to the Sorenson Spark codec supported in Flash MX 2004. New video alpha channel support lets you layer video clips using various alpha (transparency) settings.Read Comments To Download This Book

Macromedia Fireworks 8 - Training From The Source (2005)

2008-10-02T00:43:00.000-07:00

What You Will Learn
As you work through these lessons, you will develop the skills needed to create your own web pages.By the end of the course, you will be able to:Use the bitmap tools in Fireworks to edit an imageUse the vector tools to draw shapesCombine simple shapes to create complex objectsAdd text effects, such as text on a path, to your pagesCreate buttons with rollovers and use effects for realistic-looking buttonsOptimize and export your imagesCreate animated GIF imagesUse masking techniques for isolating portions of an imageAdd pop-up menusUse Dreamweaver to add text to your exported HTML pages

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Java For Artists - The Art, Philosophy, And Science Of Object-Oriented Programming (2006)

2008-10-02T00:41:00.002-07:00

Organization of This Book
Java For Artists is organized into six parts containing 25 chapters. Each part and the contents of its accompanying chapters is discussed below.Part I: The Java Student Survival GuideThe four chapters in part I provide important background information meant to help the reader approach the material presented in the later sections of the book. Some of the material discussed in part I, especially in chapter 3, may be too advanced to be fully understood by the novice upon first reading.Chapter 1: AN Approach To The Art Of ProgrammingChapter 1 presents a general discussion of the practical aspects of Java programming. It starts by highlighting the difficulties students will encounter when first learning Java and discusses the emotions they will feel when they begin to experience the overwhelming complexity involved with learning the syntax of the Java language, the Java API, a suitable development environment, and how to solve a problem with a computer. The chapter also presents and discusses the three software development roles students play and the activities required by each role. It goes on to discuss a general approach to the art of programming which includes a treatment on the concept of the flow, which is a transcendental state programmers and artists attain when completely absorbed in their work. The chapter concludes with a discussion of how to manage Java project physical and conceptual complexity.Chapter 2: Small VictoriesChapter 2 shows the reader how to create, compile, and run a simple Java project in several different development environments on Microsoft Windows, Apple’s OS X, and Linux operating systems. It shows the reader how to download, install, and configure the Java platform for Microsoft Windows and Linux including a discussion on how to set the PATH and CLASSPATH environment variables. The chapter concludes with a discussion on how to create executable jar files.Chapter 3: Project Walkthrough A Complete ExampleChapter 3 presents the execution of a complete Java programming project from specification to final testing. The project approach strategy and development cycle originally presented in chapter 1 are applied in a practical setting. Each iteration of the project demonstrates the use of the development cycle to include planning, coding, testing, and integration. The chapter’s overarching theme is the answer to this question: “How do you, as a beginner, maintain a sense of forward momentum on a programming project when you don’t yet have a complete grasp of the Java language, API, or your development environment?”Chapter 4: Computers, Programs, And AlgorithmsChapter 4 provides background information on how computers and programs work. It discusses the basics of computer hardware organization down to the processor level and the fundamentals of computer memory organization. It discusses the concept of a program and defines the steps of the processing cycle. The chapter concludes with a detailed discussion of the Java virtual machine (JVM) and its architecture.Part II: Language FundamentalsPart II contains chapters 5 through 11 and presents the core Java language features to include an overview of the Java API, language syntax, operators, control-flow statements, arrays, classes, compositional design and design by inheritance.Chapter 5: Overview Of The Java APIChapter 5 presents an overview of the Java platform application programming interface (API). The chapter shows readers how to consult the Java online documentation to find out information about a Java API class they want to use and how to navigate a class inheritance hierarchy to discover the class’s full functionality.Chapter 6: Simple Java Programs—Using Primitive And Reference Data TypesChapter 6 shows the reader how to write simple Java programs using primitive and reference data types. It starts by providing a definition of a Java program and discusses the difference between an application object vs. an applet object. The chapter then goes on to demonstrate how to create and compile a simple Java application. Next, the chapter discusses the concept of identifiers and identifier naming rules. It presents and discusses the Java reserved keywords, type categories, and language operators. It illustrates how to work with primitive and reference types, defines the terms variable, constant, statement, and expression, and demonstrates the accessibility between class and instance fields and the main() method. In summary, this chapter provides the fundamental footing all readers must have before attempting the remaining chapters in the book.Chapter 7: Controlling The Flow Of Program ExecutionChapter 7 presents a complete treatment of Java’s control flow statements to include the if, if/else, switch, while, do/while, and for. The chapter shows how to achieve complex program flow control by combining various controlflow statements via chaining and nesting. The chapter also presents the purpose and use of the break and continue statements.Chapter 8: ArraysChapter 8 offers a detailed discussion on the topic of Java arrays. The chapter begins by highlighting the special properties of Java array-type objects. The discussion then focuses on the functionality provided by single-dimensional arrays, followed, naturally, by multi-dimensional arrays. The material is reinforced with many illustrations showing readers how Java arrays are organized in memory. Tons of programming examples serve to reinforce the reader’s understanding of array concepts.Chapter 9: Toward Problem Abstraction Creating New Data TypesChapter 9 introduces the reader formally to the Java class construct. It starts with a discussion of problem abstraction and where the process of problem abstraction fits into the development cycle. The concept of the Unified Modeling Language (UML) class diagram is presented and is used from this point forward to communicate program designs. The Java class construct is thoroughly treated including class members, access modifiers, and static and nonstatic fields and methods. The class method is treated in detail as well and includes a discussion of method modifiers, return types, method names, parameter lists, and the method body. Numerous programming examples reinforce chapter material. The chapter concludes with a discussion of static initializers.Chapter 10: Compositional DesignChapter 10 shows readers how to create new class types from existing class types using compositional design. The chapter discusses the concepts of dependency vs. association and simple aggregation vs. composite aggregation. The chapter expands the reader’s knowledge of UML by showing how to express various types of aggregation via a UML class diagram. The chapter also introduces readers to the UML sequence diagram in conjunction with the chapter’s primary programming example. Other topics discussed in the chapter include the typesafe enumeration pattern and how to compile multiple Java source files with the javac command-line tool.Chapter 11: Extending Class Behavior Through InheritanceChapter 11 shows readers how to create new Java classes using inheritance. The chapter starts by showing how to express inheritance relationships via a UML class diagram. It then moves on to discuss the three essential purposes of inheritance, the concepts of base and derived classes, and how to override base class methods in derived classes. Next, the chapter presents a discussion of abstract base classes, abstract methods, and interfaces. It highlights the differences between abstract base classes vs. interfaces and shows readers how to represent interfaces in a UML class diagram. The chapter also presents a discussion of how to control horizontal and vertical access, and how to achieve polymorphic behavior. The primary chapter programming example shows readers how to combine compositional design with inheritance to achieve powerful results.Part III: Graphical User Interface ProgrammingPart III includes chapters 12 through 14 and gives readers a detailed treatment of graphical user interface (GUI) programming using AWT and Swing components.Chapter 12: Java Swing API OverviewChapter 12 presents the fundamental concepts of GUI programming including an overview of the fundamental components found in the Java Swing API. This chapter introduces readers to the screen coordinate system and explains the different types of windows. It discusses the differences between containers and components and explains the use and behavior of layout managers.Chapter 13: Handling GUI EventsChapter 13 moves beyond chapter 12 and shows readers how to create rich, interactive GUIs utilizing Java event handing techniques. It dives deeply into the different types of EventListener interfaces and describes the steps required to register an EventListener with a GUI object. This chapter also explains how to have events generated by GUI objects located in one class handled by an EventListener located in another class. This chapter also presents a detailed discussion of how to handle GUI events using inner and anonymous classes.Chapter 14: An Advanced GUI ProjectChapter 14 builds on chapters 12 and 13 by walking readers through the creation of a significant Java GUI project. It shows readers how Swing paints components, how to use the Graphics class, how to load resources from a package-relative path, how to write custom renderers, and how to write a custom editor. This chapter also details how to create custom Events and EventListeners, how to create an offscreen image, how to paint with transparency, and how to extend Swing components to provide significant new functionality.Part IV: Intermediate ConceptsPart IV contains four chapters that deal with exceptions, threads, collections, and file input and output. This material is considered intermediate because it is assumed at this point that readers are familiar with the core Java language features presented in part II. The material in this section should be well-understood by readers before they attempt part V—Network Programming.Chapter 15: ExceptionsChapter 15 dives deeply into the subject of exceptions. It begins by discussing the Throwable class hierarchy and explains the difference between errors, exceptions, runtime exceptions, and checked vs. unchecked exceptions. It then moves into a detailed discussion of exception handling using different combinations of the try-catch-finally blocks. The chapter then shows readers how to throw exceptions, create custom exceptions, and how to translate lowlevel exceptions into higher-level exception abstractions more appropriate for their program needs.Chapter 16: ThreadsChapter 16 focuses on the subject of thread programming. It starts with the definition of a thread and describes the different ways to start and stop a thread. It then describes the difference between extending the Thread class and implementing the Runnable interface. This chapter also explains how to set thread priorities. It correlates the behavior of thread priority to popular operating systems and explains how thread race conditions can occur. It also clearly explains the mechanics of thread synchronization and shows readers how to manage multiple threads that share common resources. The chapter concludes by showing readers how to use the Java thread wait and notify mechanism to ensure cooperation between threads.Chapter 17: CollectionsChapter 17 gives readers a solid overview of the Java collection framework. The chapter begins by explaining the rationale for a collections framework by developing a home-grown dynamic array class. It then presents an overview of the Java collections framework followed by a discussion of Java 1.4 collections. The chapter concludes with a discussion of Java 5 generics and shows readers how to use generic collection classes as well as how to write their own generic methods.Chapter 18: File I/OChapter 18 offers a fairly complete treatment of file I/O programming using the classes from the java.io package. The chapter shows readers how to make sense out of what is considered to be the most confusing package in the Java platform API. It then goes on to demonstrate the use of every class in the java.io package that can be used for file I/O. Although the focus of the chapter is on file I/O, the information learned here can be directly applied when programming network I/O operations. The chapter concludes with a comprehensive programming example showing how the RandomAccessFile class can be used to create a legacy datafile adapter.Part V: Network ProgrammingPart V consists of three chapters that cover a broad range of network programming concepts to include an introduction to networking and distributed applications, client-server applications, Remote Method Invocation (RMI) programming, Applets and JDBC.Chapter 19: Introduction To Networking And Distributed ApplicationsChapter 19 provides a broad introduction to the concepts associated with network programming and distributed applications. It begins by exploring the meaning of the term computer network and shows how the TCP/IP network protocols serve as the foundation protocols for internet programming. The chapter continues with a discussion of client-server computing, application distribution, multi-tiered applications, and physical vs. logical application tier distribution. It explains clearly how multiple JVMs must be deployed in order to execute physically-distributed Java applications. The chapter then goes on to explain the purpose and importance of the internet protocols TCP/IP. The chapter concludes with an RMI programming example on both the Java 1.4 and Java 5 platforms.Chapter 20: Client-Server ApplicationsChapter 20 focuses on client-server application programming and steps the reader through a comprehensive network programming example that utilizes both RMI and I/O streams. It explains and demonstrates the use of the ServerSocket, Socket, and Thread classes to write multi-threaded client-server applications. The chapter also explains how to use the DataInputStream and DataOutputStream classes to send data between socket-based client-server applications. Additional topics discussed in the chapter include the use of the Properties class to store and retrieve application properties, how to formulate proprietary network application protocols, how to use the Class.forName() method to dynamically load classes at application runtime, and how to use the singleton and factory design patterns in a program.Chapter 21: Applets And JDBCChapter 21 provides a discussion of applets and Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) programming. It begins with a treatment of applets, their purpose and use, and their lifecycle stages. It discusses applet security restrictions and shows readers how to design with these security restrictions in mind. The applet discussion continues by showing readers how to pass information into an applet from an HTML page via applet parameters. The chapter then presents a discussion of JDBC and shows readers how to store data to and retrieve data from a relational database via the JDBC API. The chapter concludes with a comprehensive programming example showing readers how to write an applet that serves as a front-end to an RMI-based application that uses JDBC to manipulate data stored in a MySQL database.Part VI: Object-Oriented ProgrammingPart VI contains four chapters and presents material related to the theoretical aspects of object-oriented design and programming. Topics include a deeper treatment of inheritance, composition, interfaces, polymorphic behavior, how to create well-behaved Java objects, three design principles, and a formal introduction to a few helpful design patterns.Chapter 22: Inheritance, Composition, Interfaces, And PolymorphismChapter 22 dives deeper into the topics of inheritance, compositional design, the role of interfaces, and how to achieve polymorphic behavior. It begins by comparing the goals of inheritance vs. composition and suggests that the true goal of good design is to know when the design is good enough by recognizing and making rational software engineering tradeoffs. The chapter continues by giving expanded coverage of inheritance concepts and introduces readers to Meyer’s inheritance taxonomy and Coad’s inheritance criteria. Next, the chapter explores the role of interfaces and how they can be used to reduce or eliminate intermodule dependencies. It introduces the concept of modeling dominant, collateral, and dynamic roles and suggests when interfaces might be used vs. a class hierarchy. The chapter concludes with a discussion of applied polymorphic behavior and composition-based design as a force multiplier.Chapter 23: Well-Behaved ObjectsChapter 23 shows readers how to create well-behaved Java objects by correctly overriding the methods provided by the java.lang.Object class. These methods include the toString(), equals(), hashCode(), and clone() methods. The chapter shows readers how to implement two different hash code algorithms and discusses the difference between a deep vs. a shallow copy. The chapter continues by showing readers how to implement both the java.lang.Comparable and the java.util.Comparator interfaces. It then concludes by demonstrating the use of well-behaved objects in a collection.Chapter 24: Three Design PrinciplesChapter 24 introduces readers to three important object-oriented design principles that can be immediately applied to improve the quality of their application architectures. The chapter begins with a discussion of the preferred characteristics of an object-oriented architecture. It then presents a discussion of the Liskov substitution principle and Bertrand Meyer’s design-by-contract, preconditions, postconditions, and class invariants. This is followed with a discussion of the open-closed principle and the dependency inversion principle.Chapter 25: Helpful Design PatternsChapter 25 presents a formal introduction to the topic of software design patterns. It begins by describing the purpose and use of design patterns and their origin. The chapter then discusses and demonstrates the singleton, factory, model-view-controller, and command patterns. The comprehensive programming example presented at the end of the chapter demonstrates the use of all these patterns in one application.

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IPv6 Essentials, 2nd Edition (2006)

2008-10-02T00:41:00.001-07:00

This book is about the next generation Internet protocol. We have become familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of IPv4; we know how to design and configure it, and we have learned how to troubleshoot it. And now we have to learn a new protocol? Start from scratch? Not really. The designers of IPv6 have learned a lot from over 15 years of experience with IPv4, and they have been working on the new protocol since the early 1990s. They retained the strengths of IPv4, extended the address space from 32 bits to 128 bits, and added functionality that is missing in IPv4. They developed transition mechanisms that make IPv4 and IPv6 coexist peacefully and that guarantee a smooth transition between the protocols. In fact, this was one of the major requirements for the development of the new protocol version.So you do not need to forget what you know about IPv4; many things will feel familiar with IPv6. When you get started, you will discover new features and functionalities that will make your life a lot easier. IPv6 has features that you will need in tomorrow's networksfeatures that IPv4 does not provide. The day will come when our Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and mobile phones have IP addresses. Aside from the fact that the IPv4 address space could never cover the demand for that number of IP addresses, imagine configuring those devices with the means we have today!One of the coolest features built into IPv6 is the autoconfiguration capability. Haven't we always struggled with IP address assignment? The advent of DHCP made our lives a little easier, but now we need to maintain and troubleshoot the DHCP servers. And when our refrigerator, our PDA, and our TV each have an IP address, will we need a DHCP server at home? Not with autoconfiguration. If you have an IPv6-enabled host, you can plug it into your network, and it will configure automatically for a valid IPv6 address. Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP), which is a networker's best friend, has become much more powerful with IPv6. Many of the new features of IPv6, such as autoconfiguration, optimized multicast routing and multicast group management, Neighbor Discovery, path MTU discovery, and Mobile IPv6 are based on ICMPv6.I hope that this book will help you to become familiar with the protocol and provide an easy-to-understand entry point and guide to exploring this new area.

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IPSec VPN Design (2005)

2008-10-02T00:39:00.000-07:00

Master IPSec-based Virtual Private Networks with guidance from the Cisco Systems® VPN Solutions group
Understand how IPSec VPNs are designed, built, and administeredImprove VPN performance through enabling of modern VPN services such as performance, scalability, QoS, packet processing, multicast, and securityIntegrate IPSec VPNs with MPLS, Frame Relay, and ATM technologiesAs the number of remote branches and work-from-home employees grows throughout corporate America, VPNs are becoming essential to both enterprise networks and service providers. IPSec is one of the more popular technologies for deploying IP-based VPNs. IPSec VPN Design provides a solid understanding of the design and architectural issues of IPSec VPNs. Some books cover IPSec protocols, but they do not address overall design issues. This book fills that void.IPSec VPN Design consists of three main sections. The first section provides a comprehensive introduction to the IPSec protocol, including IPSec Peer Models. This section also includes an introduction to site-to-site, network-based, and remote access VPNs. The second section is dedicated to an analysis of IPSec VPN architecture and proper design methodologies. Peer relationships and fault tolerance models and architectures are examined in detail. Part three addresses enabling VPN services, such as performance, scalability, packet processing, QoS, multicast, and security. This book also covers the integration of IPSec VPNs with other Layer 3 (MPLS VPN) and Layer 2 (Frame Relay, ATM) technologies; and discusses management, provisioning, and troubleshooting techniques. Case studies highlight design, implementation, and management advice to be applied in both service provider and enterprise environments.

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iPod & iTunes - The Missing Manual, 4th Edition (2006)

2008-10-02T00:38:00.000-07:00

When Apple introduced the iPod in 2001, CEO Steve Jobs declared, "listening to music will never be the same again." He was right on the money. The iPod grabbed attention right away, and by the end of 2005, more than 41 million of them had sold. iPod is the dominant digital music player on the market, and for the first time, Apple gets to feel like Microsoft.iPod steadily evolved through five gen erations since then, and today the dynasty ranges from a screenless 512-megabyte version that can hold plenty of songs for your gym routine to a 60-gigabyte multimedia jukebox that can spin out an entire season of "Desperate Housewives", along with thousands of color photos and all that colorful music.An iPod is many things to many people, but it can be much more than most people realize. That's where iPod & iTunes: The Missing Manual comes in. Like the device itself, this book is a long-running bestseller, now in its fourth edition. What makes it so popular is the wealth of useful information it brings to anyone who breaks open iPod's distinctive packaging-especially since Apple doesn't supply a manual of its own.Once again, we've updated this guide to fully explain the ins and outs of iPod, including the nano, the shuffle, and all the latest features and uses, such as:The 5th generation Video iPod, which can hold 15,000 songs, 25,000 photos, and 150 hours of videoiTunes 6, where you can buy tunes, subscribe to Podcasts, tune into internet radio, download videos, build playlists, and moreGoing beyond the music to use iPod as an external drive, an eBook, a personal organizer, a GameBoy, and a slide projectorExtreme iPodding with shareware and AppleScripts, using an iPod with external speakers (including the car stereo), accessories, and troubleshootingIt's been five years since iPod hit the scene, but, clearly, the evolution has only just begun. iPod & iTunes: The Missing Manual gives you everything you need to evolve with it.

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iPhoto 6 For Mac OS X - Visual QuickStart Guide (2006)

2008-10-02T00:37:00.000-07:00

Need to learn iPhoto 6 fast? Try a Visual QuickStart! This best-selling reference's visual format and step-by-step, task-based instructions will have you up and running with this great iLife 06 application in no time. Best-selling author and instructor Adam Engst uses crystal-clear instructions, full-color illustrations, and friendly prose to introduce you to everything from importing, tagging, editing, and perfecting images to creating slideshows and photo albums to easy online Web publishing. You'll also learn about everything new in iPhoto 6, including enhanced editing and special effects, calendars and cards, photocasting, and more!

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IP Addressing And Subnetting - Including IPv6 (2000)

2008-10-02T00:36:00.000-07:00

Why This Book Is Necessary
Although many books cover TCP/IP, no one book really goes into as much depth with all issues related to IP addressing as this one does. It is comprehensive. The intended audience of the book is someone with a technical or management background, who understands the basics of TCP/IP and wants a complete handbook related to addressing. This is an intermediate level book.Addressing is so important in any networking world that a misunderstanding can have important consequences. For example, a poorly designed addressing architecture for a large network can cause the organization to renumber the whole network, which can involve a long down-time as well as instability during the renumbering phase. This can cost a lot of money. But, at the same time, a good addressing architecture cost no money, just good planning and a good understanding of the issues. This is one reason why this book exists.

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IP In Wireless Networks (2003)

2008-10-02T00:35:00.000-07:00

The Internet Protocol (IP) has had a tremendous impact on network communications in the last decade. Although IP itself has been around for a much longer time, its relevance and impact on other networks have been felt the most since the 1990s. Before IP became the dominant protocol, a number of networking protocols proliferated. There was IBM's SNA, Appletalk from Apple Computers, Netware from Novell, Xerox Network System from Xerox and others from Digital Equipment Corporation and Microsoft. The success of the Internet and the internetworking protocols that make this possible has made IP the de-facto protocol for existing networks and also as the protocol to be used in the design and architecture of next-generation networks. Wireless networks, which hitherto have been built around protocols and architectures developed within the realms of ITU, ETSI, TIA and others, are now adopting the Internet model and protocols.
The 1990s also saw the rapid growth of wireless networks. Two major wireless technologies, GSM and CDMA, have taken center stage. The wide area cellular networks deployed so far provided primarily voice-based services. Data services were limited due to bandwidth constraints, and performance was poor due to the nature of the air interface designs, which have been built with emphasis on voice quality and capacity. However, with the evolution of cellular networks towards 3G, packet data services have been a major focus in terms of providing higher bandwidth and overall accessibility to the Internet. Vast improvements in radio technology, as well as the need to provide access to the Internet, has driven the evolution of cellular to support packet data. Since the 3G wireless networks are viewed as an extension to the Internet, there is significant emphasis in ensuring that IP operates in a manner very similar to the wired Internet today. Hence, protocols and network architectures for the wide area cellular networks are designed and built to support IP in as efficient a way as possible. Wireless networks are expected to become more data-centric in the next few years, rivaling voice as the "killer" application. The deployment of new data services will have a ripple effect on the wireless networks and the end user devices and terminals; they will change to better support these new applications. The wireless information society that is being created now will continue to grow. The technology enablers such as 3G-and-beyond packet data networks and services will allow this to thrive.
This book captures the essential elements in this convergence path of wireless networks and the Internet protocols resulting in the new paradigm of "Wireless IP." It covers all the important 2G cellular technologies that we have seen in the past decade, along with 3G and other important wireless technologies that will be deployed in the near future. The book extensively discusses the aspects of IP that affect the wireless medium and how it must be modified to guarantee the fullest use and deployment of Wireless IP. This includes the modifications required in protocols, architectures, and framework in virtually every area such as QoS, security, mobility, and so on. The book can be viewed in four different sections. The first section, Chapters 1 to 3, is preliminary introductory chapters. The second section, Chapters 4, 5, 6 and 7, describes second-generation (2G) wireless networks and the support for packet data in these. Chapters 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13, which constitute the third section, are focused on third-generation (3G) wireless networks as well as other technologies such as 802.11 and WAP. The fourth section of the book, Chapters 14, 15 and 16, describes the type of future applications as well as a view on evolution and the role that standards bodies play. The book is written such that it is not required to read chapters in a sequential manner. The split across the 4 sections can be referred to separately.
Since the focus of the book is on the Internet Protocol (IP), Chapter 1 focuses on the history and the current view of the Internet. It is important to understand the nature of the Internet in order to realize the impact that it has had and continues to have on other networks. Chapter 2 is a primer to the key protocols of IP. This chapter describes protocols at the network layer, transport layer, and application layer. It is intended to serve as a quick reference for readers to refer to an IP protocol, and not as an exhaustive description of any one protocol. Chapter 3 provides an introduction to the concepts of wireless networks as well as a brief history of the same. GSM networks span the globe and GSM technology is the predominant wireless technology today. Chapter 4 discusses circuit switched data services including high-speed circuit switched data offered by GSM. Applications such as short message service (SMS) and also email connectivity are described. Chapter 5 looks at circuit switched data in IS-136 networks. Since second-generation networks in North America have been based on this technology it is important to understand support for circuit switched data services in these networks as well. While circuit switched data has not been a great success, SMS has definitely been a tremendous success. The other major wireless technology is CDMA, IS-95. Circuit switched data services in IS-95 networks are covered in Chapter 6. Wireless networks offer a set of different challenges to IP than the wired networks in the last two decades. Mobility issues, the nature of retransmissions over the air interface developed, and other challenges are covered in Chapter 7. GPRS, which is the evolution of GSM to support packet data, is covered in Chapter 8. GPRS is the first wireless network (not considering CDPD or other variants such as Mobitex) that offers packet data services without having to rely on the circuit switched network and radio technology. 3G UMTS networks provide high speed packet data access. The interfaces, protocols and concepts of UMTS are presented in Chapter 9. cdma2000 networks and the approach to packet data in these are covered in Chapter 10. cdma2000 is the evolution of IS-95 networks. 802.11 technology, which has been developed by IEEE for wireless LAN, is described in Chapter 11. Chapter 12 looks at Bluetooth, which is a personal area networking technology. WAP has been the initial approach taken by wireless networks to emulate the World Wide Web. I-mode is a service that originated in Japan and is now slowly being deployed in other parts of the world. WAP and I-mode are covered in Chapter 13. With the availability of wireless data networks, the technology enabler is in place. It is now up to the types of services that are deployed which will decide success. Chapter 14 looks at the types of future applications that we may see in these networks. The evolution of wireless networks including GSM, CDMA, and 802.11 are captured in Chapter 15. Standards bodies have a huge impact on the technologies that are developed. The role of the major standards bodies that impact wireless data networks and IP are presented in Chapter 16.
The audience for this book is anyone interested in the potential in the convergence of the wireless and IP networks. From a technical point of view, engineers and application developers, who need to understand how packet data services and IP work in the wireless world, may find this text useful. It is also useful to people who do not have a technical background, but who work in the telecommunications or device-manufacturing industry in the fields of sales, marketing, and operations. They may find this book very informative for gaining insight into various wireless technologies available and the promise of convergence of the circuit switched voice and packet switched data networks. Other potential readers include those who may not be in the wireless industry but see the potential of wireless networks and technology and need to realize the basics of the operations of packet data in these. Students of engineering will also benefit from this book as it provides a complete description of the major wireless technologies today and the roadmap to the future.
This book has been written based on the current capabilities in the technologies described in this book and the general direction in the industry towards the wireless Internet. For this reason, this book mostly represents the views and opinions of the authors, based on their technical understanding, experience and the significant amount of research in these areas and does not necessarily represent the views of their employers.

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MCSE 70-299 (Sybex) - Windows Server 2003 Network Security Administration

2008-10-02T00:33:00.000-07:00

IntroductionThe Microsoft Certified Systems Associate (MCSA) and Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) tracks for Windows Server 2003 are the premier certification for computer industry professionals. Covering the core technologies around which Microsoft’s future will be built, the MCSE program is a powerful credential for career advancement.This book has been developed to give you the critical skills and knowledge that you need to prepare for one of the elective requirements of the MCSE certification program: Implementing and Administering Security in a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network (Exam 70-299).As security becomes more and more important in today’s network infrastructure, your abilities to design and implement security using Microsoft’s operating systems grow in importance as well. In the future, it may very well be that significant career advancement will be tethered to how well you understand security issues.The Microsoft Certified Professional ProgramSince the inception of its certification program, Microsoft has certified almost 1.5 million people. As the computer network industry grows in both size and complexity, this number is sure to grow—and the need for proven ability will also increase. Companies rely on certifications to verify the skills of prospective employees and contractors.Microsoft has developed its Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) program to give you credentials that verify your ability to work with Microsoft products effectively and professionally. Obtaining your MCP certification requires that you pass any one Microsoft certification exam. Several levels of certification are available based on specific suites of exams. Depending on your areas of interest or experience, you can obtain any of the following MCP credentials:Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST) Microsoft’s newest certification track, MCDST, is aimed at an entry-level audience looking to start their IT career by troubleshooting and maintaining client desktops. Students need to take two exams to obtain this certification.Microsoft Certified System Administrator (MCSA) on Windows Server 2003 The MCSA certification targets system and network administrators with roughly 6 to 12 months of desktop and network administration experience. You must take and pass a total of four exams to obtain your MCSA: three core exams and one elective exam.Professional, Windows 2000 Server, and Windows Server 2003. You must take and pass seven exams to obtain your MCSE: five core exams, one design exam, and one elective exam. If you are already certified as an MCSE on Windows 2000 and want to earn the MCSE on Windows Server 2003, you should refer to the Microsoft website (www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/mcse/windows2003/upgrade.asp) for upgrade exam information.Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD) The MCAD certification track is designed for application developers and technical consultants who primarily use Microsoft development tools. Currently, you can take exams on Visual Basic .NET or Visual C# .NET. You must take and pass three exams to obtain your MCAD: two core exams and one elective exam.Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD) for Microsoft .NET The MCSD certification track is designed for software engineers and developers and technical consultants who primarily use Microsoft development tools. Currently, you can take exams on Visual Basic .NET and Visual C# NET. You must take and pass five exams to obtain your MCSD: four core exams and one elective exam.Microsoft Certified Database Administrator (MCDBA) on SQL Server 2000 The MCDBA certification track is designed for database administrators, developers, and analysts who work with Microsoft SQL Server. As of this printing, you can take exams on either SQL Server 7 or SQL Server 2000, and on either Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003. You must take and pass four exams to achieve MCDBA status: three core exams and one elective exam.Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) The MCT certification track is designed for any IT professional who develops and teaches Microsoft-approved courses. To become an MCT, you must first obtain your MCSE, MCSD, or MCDBA. Then you must take a class at one of the Certified Technical Training Centers. You will also be required to prove your instructional ability. You can do this in various ways: by taking a skills-building or train-the-trainer class, by achieving certification as a trainer from any of several vendors, or by becoming a Certified Technical Trainer through CompTIA. Last of all, you need to complete an MCT application.How Do You Become an MCSA or MCSE on Windows Server 2003?Attaining any MCP certification has always been a challenge. In the past, students have been able to acquire detailed exam information—even most of the exam questions—from online “brain dumps” and third-party “cram” books or software products. For the new Microsoft exams, this is simply not the case.Microsoft has taken strong steps to protect the security and integrity of the MCSA and MCSE tracks. Now, prospective students must complete a course of study that develops detailed knowledge about a wide range of topics. It supplies them with the true skills needed, derived from working with Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and related software products.

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CADTutor AutoCAD Tutorials 17Feb2008

2008-10-02T00:32:00.000-07:00

Author’s Noteswww.cadtutor.netOver the past 5 years, CADTutor has grown amazingly and what started as a small tutorial site with a few visitors per day is now a well-known AutoCAD resource with comfortably over 100,000 unique visitors every month. When CADTutor v3.0 was published five and a half years ago, I wouldn't have believed things could change so positively. CADTutor v4.0 brings the prospect of a whole range of new opportunities for the next 5 years. It's taken 18 months of work (off-and-on) but the site has now been transformed from an "old-school", static html site into a modern, standards compliant, dynamic site using PHP and MySQL.As you can see from the image of the version 3 website on the right, the site has retained its established identity and its mascot, the enigmatic trout (still without a name!) but I hope the new design improves both usability and accessibility in addition to just making the place a better experience for visitors. If you have any comments about the site, I'd love to hear from you, especially if you have suggestions or feedback (good or bad).

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Syngress.-.MCSA.MCSE.Exam.70-291.Win.Server.2003.Network.Infrastructure

2008-10-02T00:30:00.000-07:00

This book’s primary goal is to help you prepare to take and pass Microsoft’s exam number 70-291: Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure. Our secondary purpose in writing this book is to provide exam candidates with knowledge and skills that go beyond the minimum requirements for passing the exam, and help to prepare them to work in the real world of Microsoft computer networking.What is Exam 70-291? Exam 70-291 is one of the two core networking systems requirements (along with exam 70-290) for the Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) and one of the four core requirements for the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) certifications. Microsoft’s stated target audience consists of IT professionals with at least six months to one year of work experience on a medium or large company network. This means a multi-site network with at least three domain controllers, running typical network services such as file and print services, database, firewall services, proxy services, remote access services and Internet connectivity, as well as messaging, intranet and client computer management.However, not everyone who takes Exam 70-291 will have this ideal background. Many people will take this exam after classroom instruction or self-study as an entry into the networking field. Many of those who do have job experience in IT will not have had the opportunity to work with all of the technologies covered by the exam. In this book, our goal is to provide background information that will help you to understand the concepts and procedures described even if you don’t have the requisite experience, while keeping our focus on the exam objectives.Exam 70-291 covers the basics of managing and maintaining a network environment that is built around Microsoft’s Windows Server 2003. Objectives are task-oriented, and include the following: I
■ Implementing, Managing and Maintaining IP Addressing: This includesconfiguring TCP/IP on a server, managing DHCP (clients and server, including the relay agent, DHCP database, scope options and reservations), troubleshootingTCP/IP addressing (manual addressing, DHCP addressing and APIPA), and troubleshooting DHCP (including authorization issues, server configuration, and use of log files).■ Implementing, Managing and Maintaining Name Resolution: This focuses on DNS and includes the installation and configuration of the DNS server (including server options, zone options and DNS forwarding), DNS management (zone settings, record settings and server options) and monitoring of DNS with System Monitor, Event Viewer, Replication Monitor and DNS debug logs.■ Implementing, Managing and Maintaining Network Security: This includes the implementation of security templates and applying the principle of least privilege, monitoring protocol security using the IPSec Monitor and Kerberos tools, and troubleshoot IPSec, using Event Viewer and Network Monitor.■ Implementing, Managing and Maintaining Routing and Remote Access:This includes configuration of RRAS user authentication (including authentication protocols, IAS, and remote access policies), management of remote access (including packet filters, RRAS routing, devices, ports, routing protocols, and RRAS clients), management of TCP/IP routing, implementation of secure access between networks, troubleshooting user access to remote access services, and troubleshooting RRAS routing.■ Maintaining a Network Infrastructure: This includes monitoring network traffic with Network Monitor and System Monitor, troubleshooting Internet connectivity, and troubleshooting server services, including issues related to service dependency and use of service recovery options.

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Internet Phone Services Simplified (2006)

2008-10-02T00:29:00.000-07:00

You have most likely heard about Internet telephony or voice over IP (also known as VoIP) by now (the terms are fairly interchangeable). It's free, it's great, it's everything the advertisements say it is, and it is applicable to everyone. Or is it?
This books examines Internet phone services in more detail, giving you what we hope is a clear picture of what they are and what they are not. You have many things to consider before subscribing to an Internet telephony service. This book walks you through all the considerations and separates the truth from the hype.In addition to providing you with the information you need to determine whether VoIP is right for you, this book gives you a step-by-step walk-through of how to install it and integrate it with your existing home network and telephones. We also look into some more advanced Internet telephony options that are growing in popularity.

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Insider Power Techniques For Microsoft Windows XP (2003)

2008-10-02T00:28:00.000-07:00

The great artist Pablo Picasso once said that “the more technique you have, the less you have to worry about it.” What does this have to do with Microsoft Windows XP? Well, to paraphrase Picasso, the more Windows XP techniques you have, the less you have to worry about Windows XP itself. The way we see it, what a person creates using a computer is a unique expression of who that person is, whether it’s a memo, letter, financial model, presentation, e-mail message, or Web page.On the other hand, how the average person uses the computer—or, more to the point, how that person uses Windows XP—probably isn’t unique at all. It’s likely that most users follow the same Start menu paths to launch programs, use standard techniques in programs such as Microsoft Outlook Express and Windows Explorer, and perform customizations that don’t go much beyond changing the wallpaper.Our goal in this book is to show you that changing the “how” improves the “what.” By altering your usual way of doing things in Windows XP—that is, by learning a few “insider” techniques—you can become a faster and more efficient user with an optimized and relatively trouble-free system. What you’ll find then is that Windows XP fades into the background, and you’ll be able to devote all your precious time and energy into getting your work (or play) done.What kinds of techniques are we talking about? Here’s a sampling:Tweaking Windows XP for maximum performance.Automating Windows XP with script files.Working faster and smarter with a few simple Start menu and taskbar customizations.Boosting productivity with easy file and folder techniques.Getting the most out of online sessions by using the most powerful features of Microsoft Internet Explorer.Preventing Windows crashes with a simple maintenance plan.Taking the pain out of troubleshooting Windows XP problems.Working with the registry safely and easily.Taking the mystery out of setting up and administering a small network

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Internet Denial Of Service - Attack And Defense Mechanisms (2004)

2008-10-02T00:27:00.000-07:00

Society is getting to be more and more dependent on the reliability of the Internet. Businesses are relying on the Internet as their link to their customers. Customers are being encouraged to do most of their business in the Internet.
It is not enough to protect your communication from eavesdroppers, or to protect your own system from being infected with viruses. Traditionally, the security community has focused its attention on unauthorized disclosure or modification of information, and perhaps theft of services. Denial of service was largely ignored as being unlikely to occur because the attacker would not gain anything from such an attack.Clearly this is not the case today. Denial of service can be a devastating attack. It can put merchants out of business and can cause major and very visible disruption to our world. It can be (and is) used against specific companies for which the attacker has a grudge or has been paid to attack; or it can be used by terrorists to cause major disruption to critical infrastructure.As widely publicized denial-of-service attacks occur, the subject is finally getting needed attention. Not so long ago, it was assumed that the amount of damage any attacker could do was limited by the speed of that attacker's Internet connection. If that were true, it wouldn't be too hard to find the attacker's machine, filter out its packets, disconnect it from the Internet, and prosecute the machine's owner (presumably the attacker). Unfortunately, attacks grew more sophisticated. Instead of attacking directly from the attacker's own machine, an attacker breaks into a lot of machines, and causes them to attack. The attacks are now coming from many machines owned by innocent, if careless, owners.Why is it so easy to break into machines? Unfortunately, there is little incentive for vendors to provide secure software, and little incentive for owners of machines to keep up with patches and turn security on in their machine. Vendors are in business to make money. Time to market, fancy features (which are likely to introduce vulnerabilities), and price are more important differentiators than security. A vendor that provides a low-frills product that goes to market later due to stringent testing will lose in the marketplace. If manufacturers were routinely sued for security bugs in their products, perhaps security would feature more prominently in the economic equation.It is tempting to blame the users. Why don't they install patches promptly? Why don't they turn off dangerous features such as cookies? However, it is completely unfair to blame the users. Users are getting less and less sophisticated. When computers were used primarily by university computer science students, it was reasonable to make them arcanely difficult to manage. Today just about everyone is using computers, and is expected to manage their own systems. And when there are features that can be exploited by attackers (such as ActiveX), users can't simply turn these features off, because many Web sites wind up using these features. Not because they need to, but because the features are there. If users say no to anything, they get strange error messages and all sorts of things stop working.Fighting denial of service is going to be a constant spy vs. spy game. The good guys (the defenders) will try to defend against all the known attacks, and the bad guys (the attackers) will try to disguise their attacks to stay under the radar. It is good that the good guys have been awakened to the need to be ever vigilant, and to get ahead of the game through research.This book is timely and written by an ideal author team. It is crucial to understand the world as currently deployed, and it is also crucial to look to the future. This author team provides expertise along the whole range. David Dittrich, of the University of Washington's Information School and the Center for Information Assurance and Cybersecurity, is one of the foremost frontline DDoS fighters today, and indeed, an "I'm feeling lucky" Google search for DDoS brings up the DDoS page that he maintains.Jelena Mirkovic did her Ph.D. work at UCLA, with advisor Peter Reiher, on innovative approaches to DDoS defense. Their work produced the first source-end DDoS defense system, which helps network administrators ensure that poorly secured machines in their network cannot be misused to attack others. They also worked on developing taxonomies of DDoS attacks and defenses, and defining methods for measuring the success of defenses. Jelena continues her fight against DDoS as an assistant professor at the University of Delaware.Sven Dietrich is a researcher at the CERT Coordination Center. He is part of the research group that investigates the survivability of networked systems. The CERT Coordination Center is the first organization of its kind, and has helped to start similar organizations around the world. It is likely to be the first place to hear about attacks, and to marshal the resources necessary to provide defenses. Sven also works closely with Carnegie Mellon CyLab—a cybersecurity research and education center. Following their meeting at the CERT DSIT Workshop, Sven teamed up with David Dittrich and others in producing analyses of several early DDoS tools.

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Intermediate Perl (2006)

2008-10-02T00:26:00.000-07:00

Perl's object-oriented (OO) mechanism is classic prestidigitation. It takes a collection of Perl's existing non-OO features, such as packages, references, hashes, arrays, subroutines, and modules, and thenwith nothing up its sleevemanages to conjure up fully functional objects, classes, and methods, seemingly out of nowhere.That's a great trick. It means you can build on your existing Perl knowledge and ease your way into OO Perl development, without first needing to conquer a mountain of new syntax or navigate an ocean of new techniques. It also means you can progressively fine-tune OO Perl to meet your own needs, by selecting from the existing constructs the one that best suits your task.But there's a problem. Since Perl co-opts packages, references, hashes, arrays, subroutines, and modules as the basis for its OO mechanism, to use OO Perl you already need to understand packages, references, hashes, arrays, subroutines, and modules.And there's the rub. The learning curve hasn't been eliminated; it's merely been pushed back half a dozen steps.So then, how are you going to learn everything you need to know about non-OO Perl so you can start to learn everything you need to know about OO Perl?This book is the answer. In the following pages, Randal draws on two decades of using Perl, and four decades of watching Gilligan's Island and Mr. Ed, to explain each of the components of Perl that collectively underpin its OO features. And, better still, he then goes on to show exactly how to combine those components to create useful classes and objects.So if you still feel like Gilligan when it comes to Perl's objects, references, and modules, this book is just what the Professor ordered.And that's straight from the horse's mouth.

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Inside The SPAM Cartel - Trade Secrets From The Dark Side (2004)

2008-10-02T00:24:00.000-07:00

Since the explosion of Internet users during the late 1990’s, the unending spam scourge has shown no sign of abating. Statistics from large anti-spam companies that monitor millions of e-mails per hour show that the rates are actually still going up, and depending who you listen to, they are now rising between 50 and 70 percent. The new federal anti-spam (CAN-SPAM) law has already been dubbed the ‘Can’t Fight Spam Act.’ And it’s no wonder; the Net was not built with e-mail security and verification in mind, and ways to bypass and trick the system are plentiful. I heard someone explain it like this: “In trying to get rid of spam, we’re playing a game of chess, and the bad guys have white.” It is a constant game of technological leapfrog, and once a new anti-spam technology has been developed, the spammers do their best to break it, attack it or get around it. Even the brand new Sender ID initiative discussed in this book has proved to be ineffective. In fact, the spammers are adopting it even before the market at large.
As you start reading, the author throws a curve, leading you to believe you are dealing with a simple teenage script kiddie. But you’ll soon discover that the author is a very intelligent, technically sophisticated and resourceful young man. The data in this book is revealing. It shows the various ways that spammers get their messages across, and goes into great technical detail on how they do it. Most surprisingly, there is an underground cooperation between hackers and spammers, who have a common, nefarious goal to steal the email databases of companies and exploit these lists. This is a detailed handbook on how to spam, and get around the many barriers that have been thrown up by the anti-spam community. You could say that this is a bad thing, as now everyone will be able to do it. But this is not the time or place to throw coals on the raging fire of the “disclosure discussion” of network vulnerabilities.This book is a must for any system and/or network administrator who runs mail servers, or anyone who must ensure their organization is as safe as possible against the many dangers lurking behind their firewall. Spam is a many-headed dragon. In its most innocuous form it affects productivity negatively by being a distraction and a nuisance, but it can be used as a vector for many more destructive purposes like drive-by installs of trojans, key loggers, viruses, and spyware.A good defense against spam starts with knowing the enemy. This book reveals how your enemy thinks, how he operates, how he gets paid, the advanced state of dedicated automation he utilizes and what holes in the Net are being exploited. Having a resource like this is equal to catching the decryption code book of the opposition. Have fun in keeping the bad guys out!

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Security In Computing, 4th Edition (2006)

2008-10-02T00:23:00.000-07:00

In the 1950s and 1960s, the prominent conference gathering places for practitioners and users of computer technology were the twice yearly Joint Computer Conferences (JCCs)initially called the Eastern and Western JCCs, but later renamed the Spring and Fall JCCs and even later, the annual National (AFIPS) Computer Conference. From this milieu, the topic of computer securitylater to be called information system security and currently also referred to as "protection of the national information infrastructure"moved from the world of classified defense interests into public view.
A few peopleRobert L. Patrick, John P. Haverty, and I among othersall then at the RAND Corporationhad been talking about the growing dependence of the country and its institutions on computer technology. It concerned us that the installed systems might not be able to protect themselves and their data against intrusive and destructive attacks. We decided that it was time to bring the security aspect of computer systems to the attention of the technology and user communities.The enabling event was the development within the National Security Agency (NSA) of a remote-access time-sharing system with a full set of security access controls, running on a Univac 494 machine, and serving terminals and users not only within the headquarters building at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, but also worldwide. Fortuitously, I knew details of the system.Persuading two others from RAND to helpDr. Harold Peterson and Dr. Rein Turnplus Bernard Peters of NSA, I organized a group of papers and presented it to the SJCC conference management as a ready-made additional paper session to be chaired by me. [1] The conference accepted the offer, and the session was presented at the Atlantic City (NJ) Convention Hall in 1967.Soon thereafter and driven by a request from a defense contractor to include both defense classified and business applications concurrently in a single mainframe machine functioning in a remote-access mode, the Department of Defense, acting through the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) and later the Defense Science Board (DSB), organized a committee, which I chaired, to study the issue of security controls for computer systems. The intent was to produce a document that could be the basis for formulating a DoD policy position on the matter.The report of the committee was initially published as a classified document and was formally presented to the sponsor (the DSB) in January 1970. It was later declassified and republished (by the RAND Corporation) in October 1979. [2] It was widely circulated and became nicknamed "the Ware report." The report and a historical introduction are available on the RAND web site. [3]Subsequently, the United States Air Force (USAF) sponsored another committee chaired by James P. Anderson. [4] Its report, published in 1972, recommended a 6-year R&D security program totaling some $8M. [5] The USAF responded and funded several projects, three of which were to design and implement an operating system with security controls for a specific computer.Eventually these activities led to the "Criteria and Evaluation" program sponsored by the NSA. It culminated in the "Orange Book" [6] in 1983 and subsequently its supporting array of documents, which were nicknamed "the rainbow series." [7] Later, in the 1980s and on into the 1990s, the subject became an international one leading to the ISO standard known as the "Common Criteria." [8]It is important to understand the context in which system security was studied in the early decades. The defense establishment had a long history of protecting classified information in document form. It had evolved a very elaborate scheme for compartmenting material into groups, sub-groups and super-groups, each requiring a specific personnel clearance and need-to-know as the basis for access. [9] It also had a centuries-long legacy of encryption technology and experience for protecting classified information in transit. Finally, it understood the personnel problem and the need to establish the trustworthiness of its people. And it certainly understood the physical security matter.Thus, "the" computer security issue, as it was understood in the 1960s and even later, was how to create in a computer system a group of access controls that would implement or emulate the processes of the prior paper world, plus the associated issues of protecting such software against unauthorized change, subversion, and illicit use, and of embedding the entire system in a secure physical environment with appropriate management oversights and operational doctrine and procedures. The poorly understood aspect of security was primarily the software issue with, however, a collateral hardware aspect; namely, the risk that it might malfunctionor be penetratedand subvert the proper behavior of software. For the related aspects of communications, personnel, and physical security, there was a plethora of rules, regulations, doctrine, and experience to cover them. It was largely a matter of merging all of it with the hardware/software aspects to yield an overall secure system and operating environment.However, the world has now changed in essential ways. The desktop computer and workstation have appeared and proliferated widely. The Internet is flourishing and the reality of a World Wide Web is in place. Networking has exploded and communication among computer systems is the rule, not the exception. Many commercial transactions are now web-based; many commercial communitiesthe financial one in particularhave moved into a web posture. The "user" of any computer system can literally be anyone in the world. Networking among computer systems is ubiquitous; informationsystem outreach is the goal.The net effect of all of this has been to expose the computer-based information systemits hardware, its software, its software processes, its databases, its communicationsto an environment over which no onenot end-user, not network administrator or system owner, not even governmenthas control. What must be done is to provide appropriate technical, procedural, operational, and environmental safeguards against threats as they might appear or be imagined, embedded in a societally acceptable legal framework.And appear threats didfrom individuals and organizations, national and international. The motivations to penetrate systems for evil purpose or to create malicious softwaregenerally with an offensive or damaging consequencevary from personal intellectual satisfaction to espionage, to financial reward, to revenge, to civil disobedience, and to other reasons. Information-system security has moved from a largely self-contained bounded environment interacting with a generally known and disciplined user community to one of worldwide scope with a body of users that may not be known and are not necessarily trusted. Importantly, security controls now must deal with circumstances over which there is largely no control or expectation of avoiding their impact. Computer security, as it has evolved, shares a similarity with liability insurance; they each face a threat environment that is known in a very general way and can generate attacks over a broad spectrum of possibilities; but the exact details or even time or certainty of an attack is unknown until an event has occurred.On the other hand, the modern world thrives on information and its flows; the contemporary world, society, and institutions cannot function without their computer-communication-based information systems. Hence, these systems must be protected in all dimensionstechnical, procedural, operational, environmental. The system owner and its staff have become responsible for protecting the organization's information assets.Progress has been slow, in large part because the threat has not been perceived as real or as damaging enough; but also in part because the perceived cost of comprehensive information system security is seen as too high compared to the risksespecially the financial consequencesof not doing it. Managements, whose support with appropriate funding is essential, have been slow to be convinced.This book addresses the broad sweep of issues above: the nature of the threat and system vulnerabilities (Chapter 1); cryptography (Chapters 2 and 12); the Common Criteria (Chapter 5); the World Wide Web and Internet (Chapter 7); managing risk (Chapter 8); software vulnerabilities (Chapter 3); and legal, ethical, and privacy issues (Chapters 10 and 11). The book also describes security controls that are currently available such as encryption protocols, software development practices, firewalls, and intrusion-detection systems. Overall, this book provides a broad and sound foundation for the information-system specialist who is charged with planning and/or organizing and/or managing and/or implementing a comprehensive information-system security program.Yet to be solved are many technical aspects of information securityR&D for hardware, software, systems, and architecture; and the corresponding products. Notwithstanding, technology per se is not the long pole in the tent of progress. Organizational and management motivation and commitment to get the security job done is. Today, the collective information infrastructure of the country and of the world is slowly moving up the learning curve; every mischievous or malicious event helps to push it along. The terrorism-based events of recent times are helping to drive it. Is it far enough up the curve to have reached an appropriate balance between system safety and threat? Almost certainly, the answer is, "No, not yet; there is a long way to go." [10]

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Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows XP Professional, 3rd Edition (2004)

2008-10-02T00:22:00.000-07:00

How Book Is OrganizedAlthough this book advances logically from beginning to end, it's written so that you can jump in at any location, quickly get the information you need, and get out. You don't have to read it from start to finish, nor do you need to work through complex tutorials.This book is broken down into six major parts. Here's the skinny on each one:Part I, "Introducing Windows XP Professional," introduces Windows XP and explains its features, new screen elements (GUI), and the design and architecture behind Windows XP. It then explains how to ready your hardware and software for installation of XP and describes the installation process itself.Part II, "Getting Your Work Done," is, well, about getting your work done. Perhaps the bulk of readers will want to study and keep on hand this part as a reference guide. Here, we cover using the interface, running programs, organizing documents, sharing data between applications, and printing and faxing documents. We also cover how to best work with the increasingly popular plethora of digital imaging tools and formats encountered with digital photography and nonlinear video editing in your PC.Part III, "Windows XP and the Internet," introduces you to Windows XP networking, Internet style. We start with Internet connection options and then move on to the supplied Internet tools. We provide in-depth coverage of Outlook Express for mail and newsgroups, Internet Explorer for Web surfing, Windows Messenger for audio and videoconferencing, and the new security features that these programs gained in Service Pack 2. The final two chapters show you how to set up your own Web server, and how to diagnose Internet connection problems with utilities such as ping and ipconfig.Part IV, "Networking," deals with networking on the LAN. Here, we explain the fundamentals of networking and, in case you don't have a corporate networking department to do this for you, we walk you through planning and installing a functional LAN in your home or office. We cover the use of a Windows XP network; give you a chapter on dial-up, remote, and portable networking; show how to internetwork with Unix and other operating systems; and finish up with crucial security tips and troubleshooting advice that the Windows Help files don't cover. This section also covers the updated Windows Firewall, Windows XP's Remote Desktop and Remote Assistance features, and shows you how to set up a secure, shared Internet connection for your LAN.Part V, "System Configuration and Customization," covers system configuration and maintenance. We tell you how to work with Control Panel applets, provide tips and tricks for customizing the graphical user interface to maximize efficiency, manage your system fonts, and describe a variety of ways to upgrade your hardware and system software (including third-party programs) for maximum performance.Part VI, "System Configuration and Maintenance," dives even deeper into system administration and configuration, with coverage of supplied system administration tools such as the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) and its plug-ins. We also provide techniques for managing multiple users; means for managing the hard disk, including multiple file system formats such as FAT32 and NTFS; and details on setting up multiboot machines with Windows 9x, DOS, Linux, and Windows 2000. We cap off this part with coverage of the Windows Registry and a chapter on troubleshooting and repairing problems with your Windows XP installation.Appendix A covers installation of Service Pack 2, and Appendix B describes the changes that SP2 brings, with cross references to coverage of its new features throughout the book.

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Special Edition Using WordPerfect Office X3 (2006)

2008-10-02T00:21:00.001-07:00

How This Book Is Organized
Special Edition Using WordPerfect Office X3 is designed for users who have some experience using a word processor and want to learn how to get the most out of WordPerfect's broad range of features. The book is divided into sections to help you focus on the areas that you are particularly interested in. The first section is a good place to start because some fundamental concepts are covered, but beyond that, you are free to jump around and read about what interests you.Part I: Learning the Basics of WordPerfectChapters 1 through 6 cover the fundamentals of using WordPerfect to create, edit, save, and print documents. A short basic formatting chapter covers the features that you need to use right away, such as changing fonts; applying bold, italic, and underline; and adjusting the margins. The file management chapter is in this first section because managing files is such an integral part of what you do every day. After all, what good is all your hard work if you can't find a file when you need it? In the other chapters, you learn how to use the writing tools and how to print, fax, and e-mail your documents. If you're tempted to skip this part because you've already used a word processor, don't. It's loaded with tips and practical advice on how to use the basic features to be more productive.Part II: Formatting DocumentsChapters 7, 8, and 9 focus on formatting documents. Chapter 7 sticks to formatting lines and paragraphs, so you learn how to align and indent text, set tabs, keep text together, and add line numbers and borders. Chapter 8 tackles formatting page elements: page numbers, paper size, headers and footers, subdividing the page, columns, borders, and Make It Fit. Chapter 9 explains how to create and implement styles for consistency and speedier formatting. Bet you didn't know that if you modify a style, the text that is formatted with that style is automatically updated, every bit, all at once.Part III: Organizing InformationChapters 10 and 11 cover organizing information into tables, lists, and outlines. You'll learn everything you need to know about creating and formatting tables, and you'll discover why WordPerfect is the champion when it comes to tables. Bulleted and numbered lists are used in all types of documents to present (sequential and nonsequential) pieces of information in an easy-to-read list. Obviously, the Outline feature can be used to create outlines that show the structure of a document or an idea. The outline styles can also be used to create numbered sections of text where the numbers are automatically updated as you rearrange the text.Part IV: Working with GraphicsIn this section, Chapter 12 teaches you how to incorporate graphics images and effects in your documents. You'll learn how to insert clip art and other types of images, such as those that you take with your digital camera.In previous editions of this book, we covered graphics quite extensively in other chapters of this section. However, many of the features relating to graphics are really features of the drawing tools found in Presentations. For the next steps in working with graphics, you'll want to look at the online chapter, "Customizing Graphic Shapes and Images," and Chapter 32, "Working with Graphic and Multimedia Elements in Presentations." These chapters show you how to manipulate graphic images relative to your text and to each other, how to edit clip art, and how to create your own images. You'll also learn about creating specialty text, such as watermarks or 3-D text called TextArt.Part V: Integrating Information from Other SourcesChapter 13 shows you how to use information other than graphics from other applications. You'll learn how to use the Windows Clipboard and WordPerfect's Clipbook to copy information between applications. We'll show you how to use OLE to create links from information in your document directly to the program that originated it so you can update information that gets changed easily and automatically. You'll also learn how to import data from spreadsheets and databases. In addition, you'll also want to look at Chapter 33, "Working with Data and Organization Charts in Presentations."Part VI: Publishing DocumentsChapter 14 covers the document collaboration features, such as document comments, reviewing and comparing documents, adding a digital signature to validate a document, and routing documents. Chapter 15 talks about the features geared toward long documents, such as bookmarks, footnotes, endnotes, cross references, and the Master Document feature. Chapter 16 covers the creation of tables of contents, tables of authorities, indexes, and lists. The Document Map feature is covered here because it uses these reference markers to help you navigate through long documents. Chapter 17 presents information on creating interactive and multimedia documents with hypertext links, links to Web pages, and embedded video and sounds.You'll also want to look at two online chapters. "Publishing Documents on the World Wide Web" covers WordPerfect's Web publishing features and is packed with practical advice on how to publish your documents on the Internet or your company intranet. "Working with XML Documents" helps you understand XML and how to use it in a shared environment.Part VII: Automating Everyday TasksThis last WordPerfect section discusses ways that you can use automation tools to speed up repetitive tasks. Chapter 18 covers templates, from using the project templates that come with WordPerfect to creating your own templates (both from existing documents and from scratch). You'll learn how to insert prompts that guide the user through the template and how to link fields in a template to address book fields. Chapter 19 covers the Merge feature. A complete set of steps for a typical mail merge is given, but the focus is on using other sources for names and addresses and creating documents other than form letters during a merge. Chapter 20 covers using the WordPerfect and Microsoft Outlook address books with some excellent tips on importing and exporting data. Chapter 21 shows you how to use the PerfectExpert panel to create and edit documents without searching through the menus for an elusive command. The bulk of this chapter focuses on macrosrunning macros that others have developed (including the shipping macros), and creating your own macros with the Macro Recorder. The steps to assign macros to toolbars, keystrokes, and menus are included, as well as information about using macros from previous versions and whether or not you need to install VBA support.Part VIII: Learning the Essentials of Quattro ProNew to this edition is the section covering Corel's spreadsheet program, Quattro Pro. Chapters 22, 23, 24, and 25 get you started with an orientation to Quattro Pro and spreadsheet concepts, working with spreadsheet data, how to format Quattro Pro notebooks, and how to use formulas and functions to get the right results. Chapter 26 focuses on how you work with Quattro Pro data, including sorting, filtering, and consolidating. Chapter 27 introduces tools for analyzing data, such as the Optimizer and the What-If features. Chapter 28 explores using data charts to represent Quattro Pro data. Chapter 29 takes a look at some of Quattro Pro's advanced features, such as macros, expert templates, and Web publishing.Part IX: Creating PresentationsNew also to this edition is this section covering Corel's Presentations program. Presentations is also the engine behind WordPerfect Graphics X3, so much of what you learn here applies also to working with WordPerfect graphics. The focus in this section is on Presentations as a slide presentation tool. Chapters 30 and 31 introduce you to Presentations and show you how to create a basic slideshow. Chapter 32 is an essential chapter if you want to learn more about creating or editing graphic images, or if you want to use multimedia elements in a slideshow. Chapter 33 covers data and organization charts, two features that can be quite useful also in WordPerfect. In Chapters 34 and 35, you learn how to modify Presentations backgrounds, colors, and designs; how to create templates; and how to prepare a slideshow for presenting it. Chapter 36 discusses publishing Presentations slideshows to the Web or to PDF.

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Spidering Hacks - 100 Industrial-Strength Tips & Tools (2003)

2008-10-02T00:19:00.000-07:00

How This Book Is Organized
There are several facets of spidering: searching for and finding the information, gleaning and gathering, repurposing and repackaging, and sharing it with peers. On the flip side, there's also ensuring that your own site's information is spider-friendly. We've divided this book into six parts:Chapter 1Before setting out, it behooves you to make sure you understand all the basics, philosophies, considerations, and issues. This chapter is an overview of all you should know before you build and unleash your spiders on the world.Chapter 2The most useful tools in your spidering toolbox are often those you didn't have to write yourself. There are modules galore, written by prominent members of the programming community and free for borrowing, repurposing, and using as a foundation for your own work. This chapter introduces you to the tools you'll need to program for the Web, spidering and scraping in the most efficient and appropriate manner possible.Chapter 3Hey, nobody lives by text alone. We'll show you some great resources for media files and some cool ways to go about getting them. From current comic strips to old movies from the Library of Congress, there are some wonderful finds for your media library.Chapter 4Collections of data are going online at an unbelievable pace. While getting just the data you want isn't as easy as just scraping some words off a web page, we'll show you how to get to just the information you're after, combine it with data from other sites, and repurpose it in just the way you need.Chapter 5Oh, the Web is always a-changin'. We'll show you how to keep your data current, mirror collections to your local hard drive, and schedule your spiders to run on a regular basis.Chapter 6Maybe you're just as interested in being spidered as spidering. Perhaps you have a collection others might find useful. We'll show you how to share your own data in ways that make it easier for those downstream to spider you—avoiding many of the headaches we discuss in this book!

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SQL Cookbook (2005)

2008-10-01T23:42:00.000-07:00

Structure of This Book
This book is divided into 14 chapters and 2 appendices:Chapter 1, Retrieving Records, introduces very simple queries. Examples include how to use a WHERE clause to restrict rows from your result set, providing aliases for columns in your result set, using an inline view to reference aliased columns, using simple conditional logic, limiting the number of rows returned by a query, returning random records, and finding NULL values. Most of the examples are very simple, but some of them appear in more complex recipes, so it's a good idea to read this chapter if you're relatively new to SQL or aren't familiar with any of the examples listed for this chapter.Chapter 2, Sorting Query Results, introduces recipes for sorting query results. The ORDER BY clause is introduced and is used to sort query results. Examples increase in complexity ranging from simple, single-column ordering, to ordering by substrings, to ordering based on conditional expressions.Chapter 3, Working with Multiple Tables, introduces recipes for combining data from multiple tables. If you are new to SQL or are a bit rusty on joins, I strongly recommend you read this chapter before reading Chapter 5 and later. Joining tables is what SQL is all about; you must understand joins to be successful. Examples in this chapter include performing both inner and outer joins, identifying Cartesian productions, basic set operations (set difference, union, intersection), and the effects of joins on aggregate functions.Chapter 4, Inserting, Updating, Deleting, introduces recipes for inserting, updating, and deleting data, respectively. Most of the examples are very straightforward (perhaps even pedestrian). Nevertheless, operations such as inserting rows into one table from another table, the use of correlated subqueries in updates, an understanding of the effects of NULLs, and knowledge of new features such as multi-table inserts and the MERGE command are extremely useful for your toolbox.Chapter 5, Metadata Queries, introduces recipes for getting at your database metadata. It's often very useful to find the indexes, constraints, and tables in your schema. The simple recipes here allow you to gain information about your schema. Additionally, "dynamic" SQL examples are shown here as well, i.e., SQL generated by SQL.Chapter 6, Working with Strings, introduces recipes for manipulating strings. SQL is not known for its string parsing capabilities, but with a little creativity (usually involving Cartesian products) along with the vast array of vendor-specific functions, you can accomplish quite a bit. This chapter is where the book begins to get interesting. Some of the more interesting examples include counting the occurrences of a character in a string, creating delimited lists from table rows, converting delimited lists and strings into rows, and separating numeric and character data from a string of alphanumeric characters.Chapter 7, Working with Numbers, introduces recipes for common number crunching. The recipes found here are extremely common and you'll learn how easily window functions solve problems involving moving calculations and aggregations. Examples include creating running totals; finding mean, median, and mode; calculating percentiles; and accounting for NULL while performing aggregations.Chapter 8, Date Arithmetic, is the first of two chapters dealing with dates. Being able to perform simple date arithmetic is crucial to everyday tasks. Examples include determining the number of business days between two dates, calculating the difference between two dates in different units of time (day, month, year, etc.), and counting occurrences of days in a month.Chapter 9, Date Manipulation, is the second of the two chapters dealing with dates. In this chapter you will find recipes for some of the most common date operations you will encounter in a typical work day. Examples include returning all days in a year, finding leap years, finding first and last days of a month, creating a calendar, and filling in missing dates for a range of dates.Chapter 10, Working with Ranges, introduces recipes for identifying values in ranges, and for creating ranges of values. Examples include automatically generating a sequence of rows, filling in missing numeric values for a range of values, locating the beginning and end of a range of values, and locating consecutive values.Chapter 11, Advanced Searching, introduces recipes that are crucial for everyday development and yet sometimes slip through the cracks. These recipes are not any more difficult than others, yet I see many developers making very inefficient attempts at solving the problems these recipes solve. Examples from this chapter include finding knight values, paginating through a result set, skipping rows from a table, finding reciprocals, selecting the top n records, and ranking results.Chapter 12, Reporting and Warehousing, introduces queries typically used in warehousing or generating complex reports. This chapter was meant to be the majority of the book as it existed in my original vision. Examples include converting rows into columns and vice versa (cross-tab reports), creating buckets or groups of data, creating histograms, calculating simple and complete subtotals, performing aggregations over a moving window of rows, and grouping rows based on given units of time.Chapter 13, Hierarchical Queries, introduces hierarchical recipes. Regardless of how your data is modeled, at some point you will be asked to format data such that it represents a tree or parent-child relationship. This chapter provides recipes accomplishing these tasks. Creating tree-structured result sets can be cumbersome with traditional SQL, so vendor-supplied functions are particularly useful in this chapter. Examples include expressing a parent-child relationship, traversing a hierarchy from root to leaf, and rolling up a hierarchy.Chapter 14, Odds 'n' Ends, is a collection of miscellaneous recipes that didn't seem to fit into any other problem domain, but that nevertheless are interesting and useful. This chapter is different from the rest in that it focuses on vendor-spe-cific solutions only. This is the only chapter of the book where each recipe highlights only one vendor. The reasons are twofold: first, this chapter was meant to serve as more of a fun, geeky chapter. Second, some recipes exist only to highlight a vendor-specific function that has no equivalent in the other RDBMSs (examples include SQL Server's PIVOT/UNPIVOT operators and Oracle's MODEL clause). In some cases, though, you'll be able to easily tweak a solution provided in this chapter to work for a platform not covered in the recipe.Appendix A, Window Function Refresher, is a window function refresher along with a solid discussion of groups in SQL. Window functions are new to most, so it is appropriate that this appendix serves as a brief tutorial. Additionally, in my experience I have noticed that the use of GROUP BY in queries is a source of confusion for many developers. This chapter defines exactly what a SQL group is, and then proceeds to use various queries as proofs to validate that definition. The chapter then goes into the effects of NULLs on groups, aggregates, and partitions. Lastly, you'll find discussion on the more obscure and yet extremely powerful syntax of the window function's OVER clause (i.e., the "framing" or "windowing" clause).Appendix B, Rozenshtein Revisited, is a tribute to David Rozenshtein, to whom I owe my success in SQL development. Rozenshtein's book, The Essence of SQL (Coriolis Group Books) was the first book I purchased on SQL that was not required by a class. It was from that book that I learned how to "think in SQL." To this day I attribute much of my understanding of how SQL works to David's book. It truly is different from any other SQL book I've read, and I'm grateful that it was the first one I picked up on my own volition. Appendix B focuses on some of the queries presented in The Essence of SQL, and provides alternative solutions using window functions (which weren't available when The Essence of SQL was written) for those queries.

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Teach Yourself Microsoft Office 2003 In 24 Hours (2003)

2008-09-29T04:57:00.000-07:00

Who Should Read This Book?
This book is for both beginning and advanced Office 2003 users. Readers rarely believe that lofty claim for good reason, but the design of this book and the nature of Office 2003 make it possible for this book to address such a wide audience.Readers unfamiliar with Windows–based software will find plenty of introductory help here that brings them quickly up to speed. This book teaches you how to work within Office 2003 as well as how to manage many of the Internet-based Office 2003 elements that you need to use Office 2003 in today's online world. This book talks to beginners without talking down to them.This book also addresses those who presently use a Microsoft Office product. With your fundamental Office understanding, you will appreciate the new features and added power of Office 2003. Keep in mind that Office 2003 is similar to previous Office versions but includes new features, improvements, and Web-based add-ons to keep Office gurus intrigued for a long time. This book primarily teaches the Office 2003 Professional Edition, the edition that includes all the Office 2003 products and the one that sells the best.What This Book Does for YouAlthough this book is not a complicated reference book, you learn almost every aspect of Office 2003 from a typical user's point of view. Office 2003 includes many advanced technical details that most users never need, and this book does not waste your time with those. You want to get up to speed with Office 2003 in 24 hours, and this book helps you fulfill that goal.Those of you who are tired of the plethora of quick-fix computer titles cluttering today's shelves will find a welcome reprieve here. This book presents both the background and descriptions that a new Office 2003 user needs. In addition to the background, this book is practical and provides more than 100 step-by-step walkthroughs that you can work through to gain practical hands-on experience. These tasks guide you through all the common Office 2003 actions you need to make Office 2003 work for you.

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