Our look is the result of reader comments, our own experimentation, and feedback from distribution channels. Distinctive covers complement our distinctive approach to technical topics, breathing personality and life into potentially dry subjects. The animal on the cover of REALbasic: The Definitive Guide is a greyhound. Greyhounds were first bred approximately 3000 years ago in Egypt, making them one of the oldest breeds of domesticated dogs. Mummified greyhounds have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs. They were bred as hunting dogs. They hunt by sight, not smell, and have the keenest eyesight of all dogs. Their hunting strategy is to outrun their prey, a task they easily accomplish. Greyhounds are the fastest breed of dog, reaching speeds of up to 45 miles per hour. In recent times, this speed has led to the sport of greyhound racing. Numerous societies exist that promote the adoption of retired racing greyhounds.

The distinctive sillhouettes formed by their graceful, virtually fat-free bodies, their even tempraments, and their power and speed have long made greyhounds favorites of royalty. At one time in England it was against the law for "commoners" to own greyhounds. Greyhounds have also made their mark in art and literature. There are references to greyhounds in the Bible and in classical literature from Homer to Shakespeare. Nancy Kotary was the production editor for REALbasic: The Definitve Guide, with assistance from Maureen Dempsey. Ellie Cutler was the proofreader; Madeleine Newell, John Files, and Jane Ellin provided quality control. Mike Sierra provided FrameMaker technical support. John Hulse wrote the index, with extensive authoritative help from Matt Neuburg.

Hanna Dyer designed the cover of this book, using a 19th-century engraving from the Dover Pictorial Archive, based on a series design by Edie Freedman. The cover layout was produced by Kathleen Wilson with QuarkXPress 3.32 using the ITC Garamond font. Whenever possible, our books use RepKover™ durable and flexible lay-flat binding. If the page count exceeds RepKover's limit, perfect binding is used.

The inside layout was designed by Alicia Cech, based on a series design by Nancy Priest, and was implemented in FrameMaker 5.5.6 by Mike Sierra. The text and heading fonts are ITC Garamond Light and Garamond Book. The illustrations that appear in the book were produced by Robert Romano and Rhon Porter using Macromedia FreeHand 8 and Adobe Photoshop 5. This colophon was written by Clairemarie Fisher O'Leary.