The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is quickly becoming the standard way for AI models to talk to external tools, data, and services. Anthropic announced it late 2024, and Microsoft, OpenAI, Google, and others all jumped on board pretty quickly. It gives a universal protocol so AI agents can call into code: reading databases, calling APIs, accessing files, whatever is needed. People like to call it "USB-C for AI."This book teaches .NET developers how to build MCP servers using the off...

In today’s rapidly evolving software development landscape, staying current with your Integrated Development Environment (IDE) isn't just advantageous—it’s essential. This book will guide readers through everything they need to know about Microsoft’s next major release, the next-generation Visual Studio 2026, and its transition to a transformative monthly release cadence.This will be the first practical book covering Visual Studio’s new yearly release cadence and the transformative...

Learn the bare essentials needed to begin developing cross-platform, mobile apps using Xamarin.Forms. Apps can be easily deployed to Google Play or to the Apple App Store. You will gain insight on architecture and how to arrange your app's design, where to begin developing, what pitfalls exist, and how to avoid them. Also covered are expected new features in Xamarin.Forms 3.0, so you may be prepared ahead of time for what the next release brings.Xamarin.Forms Essentials pr...

Use the solutions provided in this book to handle common challenges in Xamarin.Forms that are encountered on a daily basis. Working examples and techniques are presented that you can modify and drop directly into your own projects. You will be able to deliver working code faster than ever. Examples are made available through GitHub, maximizing the convenience and value this book provides to Xamarin.Forms developers.Solutions in the book are organized broadly into problem domains su...

Learn everything you need to set up a full-featured, automated pipeline for Xamarin development and deployment. Automate everything from the build step through to deployment and delivery to your customer. If you thought this level of automation could be achieved only by large companies with generous funding, think again! You as a single developer, or working in a small team or company, can automate your processes to punch heavier than your weight. What’s more, you can achieve this level of...

This book is written in a simple, easy to understand format with lots of screenshots and step-by-step explanations. If you are an ABAP developer and/or consultant looking forward to building advanced SAP programming applications with ABAP, then this is the best guide for you. Basic knowledge of ABAP programming is required.

NOTE: This title is also available as a free eBook on the Microsoft Download Center. It is offered for sale in print format as a convenience. Get a head start evaluating SQL Server 2014 - guided by two experts who have worked with the technology from the earliest beta. Based on Community Technology Preview 2 (CTP2) software, this guide introduces new features and capabilities, with practical insights on how SQL Server 2014 can meet the needs of your business. Get the early, high-level o...

Eclipse is the world's most popular IDE for Java development. And although there are plenty of large tomes that cover all the nooks and crannies of Eclipse, what you really need is a quick, handy guide to the features that are used over and over again in Java programming. You need answers to basic questions such as: Where was that menu? What does that command do again? And how can I set my classpath on a per-project basis?This practical pocket guide gets you up to speed quickly wit...

Discovering QlikView offers a detailed review of the QlikView technology in a readable format. Unlike other technical books it provides concepts, scenarios and in-depth descriptions of the key aspects of QlikView. This book covers the basics, but also includes more advanced topics making it an ideal resource for anyone seeking to learn or better understand QlikView. The authors' experience designing and developing not only QlikView solutions, but also a wide variety of solutions with other...

Android Programming: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide: is an introductory Android book for programmers with Java experience. Based on Big Nerd Ranch’s popular Android Bootcamp course, this guide will lead you through the wilderness using hands-on example apps combined with clear explanations of key concepts and APIs. This book focuses on practical techniques for developing apps compatible with all versions of Android widely used today (Android 2.2 - 4.2). Write and run code every step of the w...

NOTE: This title is also available as a free eBook. It is offered for sale in print format as a convenience. Get a head start evaluating Windows 8.1 - with early technical insights from award-winning journalist and Windows expert Ed Bott. Based on the Windows 8.1 Preview release, this guide introduces new features and capabilities, with scenario-based advice on how Windows 8.1 can meet the needs of your business. Get the high-level overview you need to begin preparing your deployment no...

There's nothing like teamwork for making progress on a project, but sharing information and building on each other's successes can be challenging when your team is scattered across the miles. Microsoft's SharePoint helps teams and organizations close the distance. With SharePoint, groups construct web sites specifically for collaboration--sites where individuals can capture and share ideas, and work together on documents, tasks, contacts, and events. It's the next best thing to being in th...