Acknowledgments

Well, here we are again, in what appears to have become a biennial event; such is the pace of change in the world of software development! As I glance at my beloved first edition of Kernighan and Ritchie describing The C Programming Language (Prentice Hall), I occasionally get nostalgic for the old times. In those halcyon days, programming had a certain mystique, even glamour. Nowadays, in one form or another, the ability to write at least a little bit of code is fast becoming as much a requirement in many workplaces as the ability to read, write, or add up. The romance has gone, to be replaced by an air of “everyday-ness.” Then, as I start to hanker after the time when I still had hair on my head and the corporate mainframe required a team of full-time support staff just to pander to its whims, I realize that if programming were restricted to a few elite souls, then the market for C# books would have disappeared after the first couple of editions of this tome. Thus cheered, I power up my laptop, my mind mocking the bygone era when such processing power could have navigated many hundreds of Apollo spacecraft simultaneously to the moon and back, and get down to work on the latest edition of this book!

Despite the fact that my name is on the cover, authoring a book such as this is far from a one-man project. I’d like to thank the following people who have provided unstinting support and assistance throughout this exercise.

First, Trina MacDonald at Person Education, who took on the role of prodding me into action and ever-so-gently tying me down to well-defined deliverables and hand-off dates. Without her initial impetus and cajoling, this project would not have got off the ground.

Next, Rick Kughen, the tireless copy editor who ensured that my grammar remained at least semi-understandable, and picked up on the missing words and nonsense phrases in the text.

Then, David Franson, who had the unenviable task of testing the code and exercises. I know from experience that this can be a thankless and frustrating task at times, but the hours spent and the feedback that results can only make for a better book. Of course, any errors that remain are entirely my responsibility, and I am happy to listen to feedback from any reader.

As ever, I must also thank Diana, my better half, who keeps me supplied with caffeine-laden hot drinks when deadlines are running tight. Diana has been long-suffering and patient, and has so far survived my struggle through nine editions of this book; that is dedication well beyond the call of duty. She has recently taken up running. I assumed it was to keep fit, but I think it is more likely so she can get well away from the house and scream loudly without my hearing her!

And lastly, to James and Frankie, who have both now flown the nest. James is trying to avoid gaining a Yorkshire accent while living and working in Sheffield, but Frankie has remained closer to home so she can pop in and raid the kitchen from time to time.