Writing a book involves many people, and even if I cannot mention and name all of them, there are some who really deserve being highlighted.

At Packt Publishing, I want to thank Larissa Pinto, senior acquisition editor, for proposing the theme for this book and helping me get started with it. Thanks must also go to Mohammed Yusuf Imaratwale, content development editor, and Ralph Rosario, technical editor, for their help in giving shape to the book, and making it clearer and better structured. I also want to send my appreciation to the reviewers, Gerónimo García Sgritta and Steve Perkins, who went through the initial draft, enhancing it with their comments.

There are some other people who deserve extra consideration. This book was written under unusual circumstances, around 10,000 miles away from home! I had gone from Uruguay, where I live, to work on a project in India, and that's where I wrote every single page of the text. This would not have been possible if I hadn't had complete support from my family, who stayed in Montevideo, but were constantly nearby, thanks to the internet and modern communications. In particular, I must single out my wife, Sylvia Tosar, not only for supporting and aiding me both with the project and the book, but also for dealing on her own with everything in Uruguay, and the rest of the family--this book wouldn't have been possible otherwise, and she is the greatest reason the book could be done!