THE PROCESS OF WRITING this book for Visual Studio 2010 has been frustrating at times; however, the journey of investigating new or forgotten features has reignited my passion for being a developer and working with one of the premiere development tools on the market. As with the previous two editions, this was a time-demanding exercise and I must again thank my partner, Cynthia, who consistently encouraged me to "get it done," so that we can once again have a life.
I would especially like to thank everyone at Wrox who has helped me re-learn the art of technical writing—in particular, Kelly Talbot, whose attention to detail has resulted in consistency throughout the book despite there being four authors contributing to the process, and Paul Reese (whose ability to get us back on track was a life-saver), who made the whole process possible.
I have to pass on a big thank you to my co-authors, Dave, Mike and Chris, who agreed to work with me on this edition. I doubt that I really gave an accurate representation of exactly how much work would be involved, and I really appreciated having co-authors of such high caliber to bounce ideas off of and share the workload.
Lastly, I would like to thank all of my fellow Australian MVP developers and the Microsoft staff, who were always able to answer any questions along the way.
—Nick Randolph
WRITING A BOOK IS WITHOUT A DOUBT among the most rewarding and challenging activities I've ever undertaken. I thought it would be easier the second time around, but alas I was quickly proven wrong. However, in the process I have amassed a wealth of knowledge that I never would have found the time to learn otherwise.
The production behind this book is significant, and I am especially thankful to the team at Wrox who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to bring it to fruition. Without Paul Reese and Kelly Talbot working as hard as they did to cajole the next chapter out of us, we never would have gotten this finished. It was a pleasure to be in such experienced hands, and I thank them for their patience and professionalism.
A huge thank you goes to my co-authors Nick Randolph, Michael Minutillo, and Chris Anderson, whose excellent contributions have improved this book significantly over the previous edition. I enjoyed collaborating on such a big project and the ongoing conversations about the latest cool feature that we'd just discovered.
My appreciation and thanks go to Gabriel Torok, Bill Leach, and Mike Moores from PreEmptive Solutions; Jonathan Carter from Microsoft; and SharePoint extraordinaire Jeremy Thake, whose feedback and suggestions greatly improved various chapters. Also thanks to my fellow coffee drinkers and .NET developers who (unintentionally) remind me how much I still have to learn about .NET development.
Special thanks to my parents, John and Wendy, who have always been there for me and who have always provided me with the encouragement and support I needed to achieve my goals. Special thanks also to my daughters Jasmin and Emily, who gave up countless cuddles and tickles so that Daddy could find the time to write this book. I promise I'll do my best to catch up on the tickles that I owe you and pay them back with interest.
Most of all I would like to thank my extraordinarily supportive wife and best friend, Julie. She knew exactly what she was getting herself into when I agreed to write this book, and yet she still offered her full encouragement and support. Julie did way more than her fair share for our family when I needed to drop everything except work and writing, and I am truly grateful for her love and friendship.
—David Gardner
FIRST AND FOREMOST I'd like to thank my co-authors Nick and Dave for inviting me to join them on this adventure. That act of trust and faith has sustained me during several very early morning writing sessions. When I first appeared on the Perth .NET scene Nick and Dave welcomed me with loads of friendly advice and conversation. It's an atmosphere that the community here retains to this day. A special thanks goes to Chris for racing me to the finish line. When one day we finally meet in person, I think I owe you a drink.
Like most first-time authors I had no real clue what I was getting myself into when I agreed to write this book. Thanks to the team at Wrox for patiently educating me. Special thanks goes to Kelly Talbot who continually worked to keep me on schedule and who coordinated the team that made my sections readable. Editing a technical book of this size has got to be an interesting challenge and ensuring consistency across four authors must make it particularly difficult.
Writing a book is a great way to teach you just how much you still have to learn. While researching material I was constantly surprised by the little corners of Visual Studio that I hadn't previously been aware of, but there was always someone hanging out on twitter with a useful link or comment. There are too many of you to thank individually, so in true twitter style I'll just say thanks and know that you are all listening.
Finally, I would particularly like to thank Barbara, the wonderful woman I am so lucky to be married to. When Nick and Dave first approached me about being involved in this book, I don't think either of us realized the impact it would have on our lives. Barbara gave me the courage and the support to step up to the challenge and was ready to be banished from the house for whole weekends at a time, taking the kids on wonderful (and tiring) adventures so that I could get a chapter completed. To her and to my three beautiful children, Chiara, Caleb and Will, I promise I can come with you on the next adventure. And I won't write any more books for a while. I promise.
—Michael Minutillo
WHEN I WAS INVITED TO JOIN Nick, Dave, and Michael in writing this book, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Writing is a gruelling and time-consuming process — far more than I could have ever imagined. Each chapter is almost like writing a thesis in itself, but on a strict time budget, only to move onto the next once it's done. Knowing that thousands of people would be reading my chapters and relying on the information that they contain only added to the stress, but I am quite proud of what we've managed to produce, and hope that it gives you the skills and knowledge to become a Visual Studio power user. It's been a big learning curve, and I came to realize how much I think and produce solely in code rather than in English. There's a definite skill in effectively expressing concepts in the written form, and I have a newfound appreciation and respect for those who do it so well.
I'd like to thank Nick and Dave for inviting me to be a part of the team. I was very much honored to be asked and to actually be involved in this project. My thanks go to all three of my co-authors: Nick, Dave, and Michael. Despite being located at opposite sides of Australia I think we've worked remarkably well as a team, and I appreciate all your effort, feedback, and encouragement. My thanks also go to our editor Kelly Talbot, who kept us in check and valiantly (if not always successfully) attempted to keep us on schedule. While I have received help from a number of people at Microsoft, I must particularly thank Dustin Campbell and John Vulner who provided me with some valuable help and answers.
On a personal note, I would like to thank my parents Michael and Narelle, whose hard work, generosity, and love have been my inspiration.
—Chris Anderson