July, 2012

We’re happy to announce the availability of the newest book on SQL Server 2012 for Microsoft Press: Microsoft SQL Server 2012 T-SQL Fundamentals by SQL expert Itzik Ben-Gan, a mentor and co-founder of SolidQ, and a Microsoft MVP for SQL Server since 1999. The book is a complete introductory guide to the T-SQL language—but it’s not just a set of examples and exercises (although those are present); instead, it goes beyond the basic syntactical elements of T-SQL and explains the logic behind the language and its elements. T-SQL has many aspects that are quite different from other programming languages. This book helps readers approach T-SQL with the right mindset, so they can gain a true understanding of the language elements, learning how to think in terms of sets and how to follow solid SQL...

We’re happy to announce the availability of the newest book in the Microsoft Press Start Here! series: Start Here! Learn the Kinect API , by Rob S. Miles. Microsoft’s Kinect motion-sensing device, originally intended as a game-playing peripheral for the Xbox, not only became the fastest-selling consumer electronic device in history, but also rapidly became the darling of hackers everywhere, who invented numerous new roles for the Kinect. Recognizing the Kinect’s potential, Microsoft released a free API for developers that let them program the Kinect through the .NET Framework, and followed that up with a “professional” release (not free) several months later. Now, Rob Miles has written a robust introductory book for beginning programmers that introduces readers...

Here’s the 11th post in our series of guest posts by Microsoft Most Valued Professionals (MVPs). Since the early 1990s, Microsoft has recognized technology champions around the world with the MVP Award . MVPs freely share their deep knowledge, real-world experience, and impartial and objective feedback to help people enhance the way they use technology . Of more than 100 million users who participate in technology communities, around 4,000 are recognized as Microsoft MVPs. This post is by Daylon Furlough , who is an Xbox MVP. He can be found blogging on http://www.unscripted360.com/ and on Twitter as Deaconblade . “Big things come from small beginnings.” That’s what I heard from a certain cyborg while on board a huge futuristic ship in one of this year’s blockbuster movies. I reference it because...

We are delighted to announce that Visual Models for Software Requirements , by Joy Beatty and Anthony Chen, has shipped to the printer! Hard copies should begin being shipped from our distributor to customers in the next couple weeks. If you’re a business analyst or product manager who is looking for an effective way to help executives, technical teams, and other stakeholders understand proposed solutions, you’re going to want this book. It describes a simple but comprehensive language of visual models for software requirements called Requirements Modeling Language, or RML, that helps organizations improve the way they elicit, model, and understand what their solutions can and cannot deliver. You can order the book here or here . In today’s post, please enjoy the book’s Contents at a Glance...

 

Check out Brandon LeBlanc’s post today, “Upcoming Windows Milestones Shared with Partners at WPC,” which begins like this: Today in Toronto, Canada, at Microsoft’s annual Worldwide Partner Conference , Windows Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Financial Officer Tami Reller spoke to thousands of partners from around the world. She shared some exciting new details regarding Windows that I wanted to pass along. For the first time, we provided details on Windows 8 availability. Tami confirmed that Windows 8 is on track to Release to Manufacturing (RTM) the first week of August. For enterprise customers with Software Assurance benefits, they will have full access to Windows 8 bits as early as August.

Training Kit Exam 70-462: Administering Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012 Databases By Orin Thomas, Peter Ward, boB Taylor Ebook available now $55.99 Pre-Order Print: $69.99 Visual Models for Software Requirements By Joy Beatty, Anthony Chen July 2012 (est.) Be the first to write a review Pre-Order Print: $39.99 Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012 T-SQL Fundamentals By Itzik Ben-Gan Ebook available now $39.99 Be the first to write a review Pre-Order Print: $49.99 Building Web Applications with SVG By David Dailey, Jon Frost, Domenico Strazzullo July 2012 (est.) (No reviews) Be the first to write Programming...

Greetings. We hope you’re enjoying the First Preview release of Kraig Brockschmidt’s Programming Windows 8 Apps with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript . It contains the four chapters boldfaced below. This is a note to say that we think we’ll release the Second Preview the first week of August, and we think it will contain Chapters 1-12 (with Chapters 1-4 updated in response to software evolution). Watch this blog and our Twitter account for the release announcement and download links. Chapter 1 The Life Story of a Metro Style App: Platform Characteristics of Windows 8 Chapter 2 Quickstart Chapter 3 App Anatomy and Page Navigation Chapter 4 Controls, Control Styling, and Basic Data Binding Chapter 5 Collections and Collection Controls Chapter 6 Layout Chapter 7 Metro Style Commanding UI Chapter 8 State...