Introduced in 2009, Minecraft* has become an enormous success with gaming kids and adults. Users love exploring and building within Minecraft's mind-bogglingly large environments. This game allows users to practice STEM skills while having fun. One of its greatest strengths is its ability to teach coding principles with "redstone" blocks. These blocks can be used to make exciting machines and devices in Minecraft's virtual world. With this volume,...

To help programmers develop new applications for both iOS and Mac computers, Apple launched Swift. With this easy-to-learn programming language, readers can create their own apps for iPhones and iPads. Readers will learn how to write simple programs in Swift that take advantage of the coding language's unique live view of development. Step-by-step instructions on how to code with Swift will surely make this an indispensable guide for young coders....

Not to be confused with Java, JavaScript serves a totally different purpose. As a scripting language, it provides support and extensions that have driven web development to new heights. Readers learn how to check the source code on many sites to find .js files written in JavaScript. This book explores what JavaScript does and how it is being used in new areas beyond the web. Clear diagrams, manageable text, and simple activities will get readers coding...

In this volume, readers learn that early computers were housed in large rooms, and each individual circuit and part was separate from the others. Today, thanks to miniaturization, a whole computer system can be integrated-or combined-on a single chip. An X-ray of a tablet reveals that most of the case is filled with batteries. The actual computer board is much smaller than most people would imagine. This book traces the development of integrated circuits...

From Pokémon GO to Google Search results, geolocation lets your computer or phone know exactly where you are. Young readers are already becoming familiar with geolocation through exciting new apps and games that make the most of GPS location services, but are these services also invading our privacy? This book explores the pros and cons of geolocation and looks towards the future of location-driven applications. Topics also include indoor location...

Apps and programs are taking over the world, and that's a good thing. However, sometimes we open apps and programs and have trouble figuring out how to use them. This is a sign of poor-quality user experience (UX) design. Computer users would rather use apps and programs that aren't difficult to figure out. UX designers focus on the flow of tasks through a program and try to make everything feel intuitive. In this book, readers learn about careers...

If computers reduce everything to the binary number system of 0s and 1s, then why are there so many programming languages? In this book, readers explore how different languages have developed to fill specific needs and solve unique problems. Readers will also review the historical development path of languages and see how the future of programming may not even involve coding. Topics include scripting versus computing languages, content-specific programming,...