Pipe valves come in a number of shapes, sizes, materials, and configurations, including ball, check, butterfly, diaphragm, gate, globe, and compressed-air valves. Some are made of metal; many these days, however, are made of polypropylene plastic, which is cheaper and lighter than most metals and can handle chemicals that metal valves cannot. Pipe valves are commonly used in residential, commercial, and industrial applications where pressurized liquid or air must be moved between two different pipes or containers. The pipe valve allows someone to start or shut off the flow of the liquid or gas.

At Microsoft Press, we use tools to illustrate our books for software developers and IT professionals. Tools very simply and powerfully symbolize human inventiveness. They’re a metaphor for people extending their capabilities, precision, and reach. From simple calipers and pliers to digital micrometers and lasers, these stylized illustrations give each book a visual identity, and a personality to the series. With tools and knowledge, there’s no limit to creativity and innovation. Our tagline says it all: the tools you need to put technology to work.

The manuscript for this book was prepared and galleyed using Microsoft Word. Pages were composed by Microsoft Press using Adobe FrameMaker+SGML for Windows, with text in Garamond and display type in Helvetica Condensed. Composed pages were delivered to the printer as electronic prepress files.

Cover Designer:	Methodologie, Inc.
Interior Graphic Designer:	James D. Kramer
Principal Compositor:	Dan Latimer
Interior Artist:	Joel Panchot
Principal Copy Editor:	Shawn Peck
Indexer:	Bill Meyers