Subclassing and Hooking with Visual Basic

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The animals on the cover of Subclassing and Hooking with Visual Basic are common brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula). These small Australian marsupials are about one-sixth the size of a housecat. They have big ears, long whiskers, and a pointy snout tipped with a pink nose; their fur color ranges from light gray to dark brown. A brushtail possum pregnancy lasts only about 17 days, but, after birth, the single infant spends up to 5 months in his mother’s pouch and then is dependent on mom for another 1 to 2 months longer.

Ordinarily, brushtail possums are tree-dwellers; their long, prehensile tails and opposable digits are ideal for grasping tree branches. They dine on leaves, fruits, and flowers and were once common all over Australia. But now they’re largely absent from the interior of the country, and they can too often be found living in the eaves and attics of suburban houses, raiding trash cans for their dinners. Introduced to New Zealand in 1840, they’re a major pest species in that country as well, and population control efforts include attempts to popularize possum-fur garments.

Leanne Soylemez and Matt Hutchinson were the production editors for Subclassing and Hooking with Visual Basic. Leanne Soylemez was the proofreader. ...