Acknowledgments

I remember early last year when there was so much demand for a CGI book, and yet there was not even one book to help all the eager users put up counters or guestbooks. My boss at that time, Dyung Le, suggested that we write a book on CGI. Of course, we laughed it off several minutes later.

But, the idea never left either one of us. Several days later, we started writing up a contract, and the rest is history-thanks to Adrian Nye, an editor at O'Reilly, who helped us put the contract together. It was a dream come true: writing a technical book for O'Reilly & Associates.

First and foremost, I'd like to thank Mr. Le for not only suggesting the idea for the book, but giving me an opportunity to develop software straight out of high school. In addition, I'd like to thank Rita Horsey, my other boss, who also taught me quite a bit, and provided me with an Internet connection in the early days of the book.

Of course, I'd also like to thank my family for not only putting up with my bizarre work hours during the entire writing period, but also coming to my assistance whenever I needed it. There's no way I could have finished this book without their support.

Thanks to all the reviewers and everyone who provided suggestions: Jeffrey Friedl (the king of regular expressions), Andreas Koenig (the father of MakeMaker), Marc Hedlund (the originator of the CGI FAQ), Tom Christiansen (the UNIX wizard), Jon Backstrom, Joseph Radin, Paul DuBois, and from ORA, Norman Walsh, Paula Ferguson, Ellie Cutler, Tanya Herlick, Frank Willison, Andy Oram, Linda Mui (more on these guys in a minute), and Tim O'Reilly (the godfather of the Nutshell).

I had the privilege of working with two really excellent teachers, Andy and Linda, whom I also consider my friends. They've guided me through the entire process, and their editorial criticisms were always right on. So I'd like to thank them for everything.

Unfortunately, Andy has been through some very tough and trying times in the last several months after an auto accident. No doubt, he'll be back to doing what he does best in no time! Get well soon, Andy. I also can't believe the amount of time Linda has devoted to the book, despite going through the trials and tribulations of pregnancy. You guys are great!

Of course, a great big thanks go out to the production staff at ORA, especially Jane Ellin, who has done a great job managing the production responsibilities, with help from Mike Sierra, Kismet McDonough, Mary Ann Faughnan, Sheryl Avruch, Sue Willing, Hanna Dyer, and Clairemarie Fisher O'Leary. Thanks to Chris Reilley for all the great figures, Edie Freedman for designing the cover (which I wasn't happy with originally, but have come to love!), Seth Maislin for the index, and Nancy Priest for the internal design.

And last, but not least, a thanks to all my friends here and to my family and relatives in India, especially my grandparents.

Hope you find the book useful!