Acknowledgments

When I was first presented with the opportunity to coauthor this book with Rob Warner, I was both excited and nervous. I was excited because our previous book on Core Data has been a success and Rob is a great partner to work with. But I was nervous because of the time investment we would both have to pour into this. In the end, we pulled and pushed each other to the finish line to produce this new book, and, once again, it was all worth it.

My wife, Kelly, and my children, Matthieu and Chlo?, have thankfully been very supportive throughout the project and helped me with words of motivation and a constant flow of coffee. Matthieu and Chlo? think it's cool that their dad wrote a book, and I'm all about impressing my kids while I still can.

As always, the folks at Availity with whom I spend my daylight time have all been encouraging to Rob and me in this effort. Availity is a company that promotes continuous professional self-improvement, and this is yet another example. Among plenty of other folks, Trent Gavazzi, Ben Van Maanen, and Steve Vaughn have all stopped by with words of encouragements that went a long way when I felt overwhelmed between work and writing.

Lastly, it's only fair to acknowledge the Apress team for their constant support and for providing resources to help with the completion of the project. The technical reviewer they hired to work with us, James Bucanek, was a wealth and knowledge. James, I apologize for that time I made you spit your coffee all over your monitor with my writing....

Michael Privat

Although writing can be easy, writing well never is, at least for me. I agonize over word choices, sentence constructs, and flow. Never does writing become more difficult, however, than in this section, as we try to thank those who helped create this book, whether directly or indirectly. The danger of omitting someone who merits thanks lurks behind every paragraph, and the peril of sounding trite or rote looms in every sentence. If you've been overlooked or unfairly treated, I blame the editors!

Actually, working with the people at Apress has been another great adventure. From the beginning ideas for this book to its conclusion, we've been supported and challenged to greatness. Steve Anglin always has great ideas and doesn't settle for almost. Jennifer Blackwell was both patient and pleasant as we worked through issues. Going through my e-mail reminds me of more key folks who provided direction or assisted: Michelle Lowman, Debra Kelly, Douglas Pundick, James Markham, and Kim Wimpsett. Our technical reviewer, James Bucanek, was both fastidious and amazing, keeping us on our toes, steering us right, and helping us solve some technical challenges. Thanks, James!

Thank you, Sherry, for letting me chase my dreams.

Juggling two book projects while holding down a full-time job and raising a family can cut into one's sleep schedule. Tyson has now dubbed me “Sleepyhead Codesauce,” and my other children roll their eyes at my “nerd books” and “nerd meetings.” Thanks, Tyson, Jacob, Mallory, Camie, and Leila for letting me have my fun and for putting up with my crankiness.

Conning Michael Privat into writing yet another book with me was somewhat devious—I've learned he can't back down from a challenge. Thanks, Michael, for climbing on board one more time. This book was another great ride, and I'd have been stuck without you. Betcha can't write one on Dart.

Working my day job at Availity provides me opportunities to learn and grow from some amazing people. Once again, I thank all of them for their support and interest, particularly Trent Gavazzi, Jon McBride, and the rest of the senior team. As more and more Availity people get Macs, I expect to see Graphique on a lot of desktops soon.

Finally, I thank my parents and my siblings for the love of learning and writing that we share. Thanks for your support and your interest.

Rob Warner