Acknowledgments

Sometimes you're given the opportunity to thank someone but you know you won't be able to fully express the magnitude of your appreciation . You can say what you want, but ultimately you just have to trust that the person knows how deeply grateful you are. I trust that Rebecca Sun, Macromedia's lead ActionScript 2.0 developer, knows .

I'm in a similar boat with Derek Clayton. I've been working with Derek for years on Unity, our commercial framework for creating multiuser applications (see http:// moock .org/unity). Derek's been a programming mentor to me since I met my first if statement, and he's been a friend for even longer. I learn something from him almost every day. This book is filled with the wisdom he has imparted to me over the years.

Bruce Epstein, my editor. What can you say? He is, quite simply, the best. No hyperbole can exaggerate his merit, nor do it justice , so I shall attempt none.

I'd also like to thank all of the members of O'Reilly's editorial, production, interior design, art, marketing, and sales teams including Glenn Bisignani, Claire Cloutier, Colleen Gorman, Tim O'Reilly, Rob Romano, Sarah Sherman, Ellen Troutman, and Ellie Volckhausen. Also my thanks to the copy editor, Norma Emory, for helping to ensure the text's consistency, readability, and accuracy.

Then there are the members of Macromedia's Flash team, who have been a constant source of inspiration, knowledge, and friendship to me since there was a "Flash." I believe that anyone interested in computers is indebted to the whole Flash team for constantly pioneering new forms of computer-based communication. Above all, for his unending support and kindness, I owe Gary Grossman a lifetime of deep bows, obsequious "thank yous," and long handshakes. Specific members of the Flash team, past and present, that I'm honored to know and work with are: Nigel Pegg, Michael Williams, Erica Norton, Waleed Anbar, Deneb Meketa, Matt Wobensmith, Mike Chambers, Chris Thilgen, Gilles Drieu, Nivesh Rajbhandari, Tei Ota, Troy Evans, Lucian Beebe, John Dowdell, Bentley Wolfe, Jeff Mott, Tinic Uro, Robert Tatsumi, Michael Richards, Sharon Seldon, Jody Zhang, Jim Corbett, Karen Cook, Jonathan Gay, Pete Santangeli, Sean Kranzberg, Michael Morris, Kevin Lynch, Ben Chun, Eric Wittman, Jeremy Clark, and Janice Pearce.

I was extraordinarily fortunate to have some truly wonderful technical reviewers and beta readers for this book. Rebecca Sun lent her sage eye to the entire text. Gary Grossman reviewed key sections, including Chapter 10. The following keen beta readers guided me throughout the writing process: Alistair McLoed, Chafic Kazoun, Jon Williams, Marcus Dickinson, Owen Van Dijk, Peter Hall, Ralf Bokelberg, Robert Penner, and Sam Neff. Special thanks to Mark Jonkman and Nick Reader for their consistently thorough examinations of the manuscript.

Love to my wife, Wendy, who completes me. To my family and friends . And to the trees, for providing the answer to any question, the splendor of any dream, and the paper upon which this book is printed.

Colin MoockToronto, CanadaMarch 2004