Conventions Used in This Book

This book uses various stylistic and typographic conventions to make it easier to use.

Note

When you see a note in this book, it indicates additional information that can help you better understand a topic or avoid problems related to the subject at hand.

Tip

Tips introduce techniques applied by experienced developers to simplify a task or to produce a better design. The goal of a tip is to help you apply standard practices that lead to robust and maintainable applications.

Caution

Cautions warn you of hazardous procedures (for example, actions that have the potential to compromise the security of a system).

Cross-references are used throughout the book to help you quickly access related information in other chapters.

For an introduction to the terminology associated with transactions, see "Understanding Transactions," p. 332 .

Many of the chapters in this book conclude with a "Troubleshooting" section that provides solutions to some of the common problems that you might encounter regarding a particular topic. Throughout the main chapter text, cross-references such as these are included to direct you to the appropriate heading within the "Troubleshooting" section to address these problems.