Acknowledgments

The "under construction" sign has been on this book since early 1999, when I signed on to write a cookbook covering DHTML. While the project has not been underway as long as Boston's "Big Dig," it is the longest I have waited for the technology and real world to catch up with my idea of what such a book should be. O'Reilly had the patience to let the subject matter mature and also wait while I wrote the second edition of Dynamic HTML: The Definitive Reference, which is a testament to a publishing firm that doesn't rush about just to publish a title to occupy space on the bookseller shelf.

By stroke of luck, the passage of time meant that the unfinished title fell into the lap of Paula Ferguson, the most knowledgeable and tireless book editor for whom I've had the pleasure of writing during my 25-year career. She has edited many of O'Reilly's most popular and successful titles, and magically blends the best interests of publisher, author, and reader into the finished product.

I was also very fortunate to have three additional pairs of watchful eyes looking over my shoulder to provide technical critiques of the work in progress. In alphabetical order, Sue Giller, Robert Husted, and Dori Smith, made countless suggestions that I adopted to improve the writing and scripting. Thank you times three!

Much of the impetus for selecting the recipes for this book has come from the scripting public. Having read thousands of online forum threads since 1996, having listened to readers of my JavaScript and Dynamic HTML books for years, and having observed search queries that lead visitors to my web site (http://www.dannyg.com), I believe I have distilled the essence of the needs of most client-side scripters. Your pain, confusion, and frustration with the technologies have not gone unnoticed. I hope this book provides the relief and understanding you crave.