Colophon

Colophon

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 SQL Cookbook is an Agamid lizard. These lizards belong to the Agamidae family and have more than 300 species among them. Agamids can be found in Africa, Asia, Australia, and Southern Europe, and are characterized by strong legs andin some varietiesthe ability to change color. Unlike other species of lizards, agamids cannot regenerate their tails if they lose them. They can be found in varied environments from hot deserts to warm, wet tropical rainforests.

Several species of agamids are popular as pets. Among these are the Bearded Dragon (genus Pogona). Calm, yet curious, these creatures grow to be only about 20 inches. Even with their small stature, they are still considered "giant" lizards, and therefore require ample space. Males are generally territorial and, although they are social animals, overcrowding can lead to stress, especially when the animals have no place to hide. Overcrowding can lead to injuries from fighting such as lost toes and tails, as well as a loss of appetite.

The head of the bearded lizard is triangular in shape and features many spikes protruding from its chin. These spikes resemble whiskers (thus the name). The spikes are also found along its side. Bearded dragons open their mouths and display their spiky beards to scare predators and other beardeds. They also can flatten their bodies to appear larger. As pets, they may stop displaying their beards once they become comfortable with their owners and habitats.

Although they originated in Australia, the bearded dragons sold by U.S. dealers are descendants of animals that were imported from Europe. This is due to Australia's strict export laws regarding wildlife.

The Flying Lizard (draco volans) is another varied example of an agamid lizard. Measuring slightly less than 12 inches, this animal has a long, thin body with flaps of skin along its ribs. The male flying lizard will claim two to three trees for its territory with one to three females living in each tree. In order to transport itself from one place to another, it glides from trees or other high places by extending its skin flaps like wings. However, it usually does not fly in rain or wind. When threatened, the flying lizard may also extend its skin flaps to appear larger.

Another interesting variety of the agamidae family is the Red Headed Rock Agama (Agama agama) found in sub-Saharan Africa. These creatures often live in groups of 10 to 20 with an older male acting as the group's "leader." At night, their coloring is dark brown, but at dawn, their bodies change to light blue with a bright orange head and tail. Their skin coloring changes with their mood, acting like a virtual mood ring. For example, when males fight, their heads will become brown, while white spots appear along the body.

Darren Kelly was the production editor for SQL Cookbook. Kenneth Kimball was the copyeditor and Karmyn Guthrie was the proofreader. nSight, Inc. provided production services. Jamie Peppard and Genevieve d'Entremont provided quality control. Jansen Fernald provided production support Beth Palmer wrote the index.

Karen Montgomery designed the cover of this book, based on a series design by Edie Freedman. The cover image is a 19th-century engraving from the Dover Pictorial Archive. Karen Montgomery produced the cover layout with Adobe InDesign CS using Adobe's ITC Garamond font.

David Futato designed the interior layout. This book was converted by Keith Fahlgren to FrameMaker 5.5.6 with a format conversion tool created by Erik Ray, Jason McIntosh, Neil Walls, and Mike Sierra that uses Perl and XML technologies. The text font is Linotype Birka; the heading font is Adobe Myriad Condensed; and the code font is LucasFont's TheSans Mono Condensed. The illustrations that appear in the book were produced by Robert Romano, Jessamyn Read, and Lesley Borash using Macromedia FreeHand MX and Adobe Photoshop CS. The tip and warning icons were drawn by Christopher Bing. This colophon was written by Jansen Fernald.