Building Intelligent .NET Applications: Agents, Data Mining, Rule-Based Systems, and Speech Processing [Paperback]

Sara Morgan Rea (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0321246268 | ISBN-13: 978-0321246264 | Publication Date: April 4, 2005 | Edition: 1

Building Intelligent .NET Applications is an introduction to the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for .NET programmers. It is the first book to show professional .NET developers how to incorporate AI into their daily programming. In this accessible guide, developers will learn how to enhance both new and existing .NET applications with intelligent agents, data mining, rule-based systems, and speech processing.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been in existence almost as long as computers. However, only recently have AI techniques been widely incorporated by companies to enhance

traditional business applications.

Building Intelligent .NET Applications is an introduction to the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for .NET programmers. It is the first book to show professional .NET developers how to incorporate AI into their daily programming. In this accessible guide, developers will learn how to enhance both new and existing .NET applications with intelligent agents, data mining, rule-based systems, and speech processing.

The author explores four of the most popular AI technologies by building real-world sample applications that readers can use as the basis for their own applications.

Highlights include

• Applications that talk—critical for companies seeking to automate their call centers

• Speech-enabled mobile applications

• Multimodal speech applications

• Data-mining predictions, which uncover trends and patterns in large quantities of data

• Rule-based programming for applications that can be more reactive to their environments

• Multiple software agents that are able to keep remote users up to date

• Sample applications for Windows and the Web

With Building Intelligent .NET Applications, developers will learn the basic technologies of AI needed to create practical, time-saving enterprise applications.

© Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

About the Author

About the Author

Sara Rea is a senior developer for Public Systems Associates, a Baton Rouge–based company that produces legislative software. She is an MCSD and MCDBA and is certified in SQL Server 2000 and VB.NET. She specializes in developing Web-based applications utilizing Microsoft technologies. Since graduating from Louisiana State University in 1993 with a degree in quantitative business analysis, she has been developing software for a variety of industries, including a not-for-profit hospital, a financial company offering mortgages, a retail company selling coffee, and an Application Service Provider.

In 1998 she wrote an article on stress-testing Web sites that was featured on the front cover of MSDN Magazine, formerly named Microsoft Interactive Developer (MIND). Since then she has written articles featured in Enterprise Development and .NET Development. To reference the articles Sara Rea has written, refer to http://www.custsolutions.net. This Web site also features her latest research efforts and is a good resource for readers who want to learn more about enhanced computing.

© Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional; 1 edition (April 4, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321246268
• ISBN-13: 978-0321246264
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,987,527 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sara Rea is an independent author and consultant located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She is an MCSD and MCDBA and is certified in SQL Server 2000 and VB.NET. She specializes in developing leading edge Web-based applications utilizing Microsoft technologies. Since graduating from Louisiana State University in 1993 with a degree in quantitative business analysis, she has been developing software for a variety of industries, including a not-for-profit hospital, a financial company offering mortgages, a major retailer, a software company that writes legislative software, and an Application Service Provider.

In 1998 she wrote an article on stress-testing Web sites that was featured on the front cover of MSDN Magazine, formerly named Microsoft Interactive Developer (MIND). Since then she has written articles featured in Enterprise Development, .NET Development, Visual Studio Magazine and DevX.com. To reference the articles Sara Rea has written, refer to http://www.custsolutions.net. This Web site also features her latest research efforts and is a good resource for readers who want to learn more about enhanced computing.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not Very In-Depth, Not a lot of code examples, February 8, 2006

By 

Rita K. Krebs - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Building Intelligent .NET Applications: Agents, Data Mining, Rule-Based Systems, and Speech Processing (Paperback)

I went out and purchased this book based on some good reviews here at Amazon. I was really unimpressed with it. It is much less a primer on how to program "AI" types of apps with .NET, and much more a manual of how to use Microsoft applications like their speech services and data mining.

I do .NET for a living, which is to say that I am probably not an expert but am proficient. This book was not really aimed at .NET programming. It was aimed at "look at these cool MS apps" and "here is how to right click to enable data cubes". What I mean to say here is that when a topic came up like speech recognition, way to much attention was paid to how to use the Microsoft Wizards and Configuration tools, and little or no time was spent on the actual API or coding practices. In some cases no example programming code was provided.

This book was really sub-par compared to many of the other programming books I have purchased in general. I really don't want to be mean to the author, as she seems to really care about the subject matter. IMHO this book just is not very good, does not provide very good examples, and does not show anywhere near enough actual .NET code.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hands-on Intelligent Apps :: Enhanced Computing Jump Start, April 26, 2005

By 

Adnan Masood (Monrovia, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Building Intelligent .NET Applications: Agents, Data Mining, Rule-Based Systems, and Speech Processing (Paperback)

I came across "Building Intelligent .NET Applications: Agents, Data Mining, Rule-Based Systems, and Speech Processing" couple of days ago during a regular Borders browse and it suddenly became a page turner. Sara has written an excellent step by step guide to utilize existing enhanced computing tools and technologies to incorporate different characteristic features of intelligence in your applications.

This book discusses four major traits of intelligent apps with implementation and executable examples; Agents, data mining, rule based systems and speech processing; Author's writing style is technical and easy to follow. Incorporating tips among text, description of every file used in a VS.Net project and installation instructions are very helpful when trying code segments and sample programs. Also, detailed meta-data and database schema are also provided for a clearer understanding of subject matter. I particularly liked the discussion about speech enabled applications ergonomics.

"Building Intelligent .NET Applications: Agents, Data Mining, Rule-Based Systems, and Speech Processing" explores the latest Microsoft technologies, some fresh out of the MSR oven. Microsoft's efforts of making AI mainstream with its great variety of products and excellent toolset is to be grateful for. Author walks through different technologies and explains how the collaboration of diverse technologies such as client side scripting, XML, SQL Microsoft's new Speech Application - SASDK, Microsoft XML Parser - MSXML, XML for Analysis SDK, ADO for Multidimensional Objects - ADOMD, Background Intelligent Transfer Service comes in handy as building blocks of enhanced computing application. This book covers telephony applications, multimodal speech applications, Data-Mining Predictions and their applications, evolving database design, Agent Building and the Future of Enhanced Computing. Last chapter is an overview of upcoming technologies like WinFS and intelligent application development roadmap.

This book with all of its good features falls short in describing the theory and underlying algorithms for these intelligent components. I guess due to the target audience (developers), author stayed focus on development however there are some introductions to key terminologies in the chapters. I missed this paraphrase most in the rule based systems; it felt like the chapter didn't relate itself much with the broad horizon of rule based systems yet provided a concrete implementation of one.

Like author said "I challenge every developer who reads the book to go out and find some product or technology to make your application better", I believe its a must-have book for developers / computer scientists who want to integrate cutting edge enhanced computing technologies in their code without spending too much time in R&D labs; MSR (research.microsoft.com) does it all for them and yes, you can participate.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Experiments in 'enhanced computing', June 20, 2005

By 

Jack D. Herrington "engineer and author" (Silicon Valley, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Building Intelligent .NET Applications: Agents, Data Mining, Rule-Based Systems, and Speech Processing (Paperback)

This is a set of seven case studies is the use of agents, data mining, rule-based systems and speech recognition in the .NET framework. The examples are fairly high level, and these technologies are cutting edge. So you have to look at this as more of a field guide to an adventure rather than a succinct work on stable technologies.