Acknowledgments

Thanks to my wife, Rebecca. Even though she is gone now, her spirit is in every book I write, in every word that appears on the page. She believed in me when no one else would.

Rod Stephens has been a friend and colleague for many years now. His technical edit of this book was quite thorough, and I greatly appreciate his efforts. Rod took the time to talk with me about book topics through e-mail as I wrote about them. He offered insights on how to write better examples and more easily understood text, and he supplied access to resources that might not otherwise appear here.

Matt Wagner, my agent, deserves credit for helping me get the contract in the first place and taking care of all the details that most authors don’t really consider. I always appreciate his assistance. It’s good to know that someone wants to help.

A number of people read all or part of this book to help me refine the approach, test application code, verify the extensive text, and generally provide input that all readers wish they could have. These unpaid volunteers helped in ways too numerous to mention here. I especially appreciate the efforts of Eva Beattie, who provided general input, read the entire book, and selflessly devoted herself to this project.

Finally, I would like to thank Kelsie Baird, Susan Christophersen, and the rest of the editorial and production staff at John Wiley & Sons, Inc. for their unparalleled support of this writing effort.

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

Acquisitions Editor: Kelsey Baird

Project Manager and Copy Editor: Susan Christophersen

Technical Editor: Rod Stephens

Production Editor: Mohammed Zafar Ali

Cover Image: © Casimiro PT/Shutterstock