More subtle is the change in typography inside the magazine. Mostly, that's due to a shift in the underlying tools used to typeset and lay out the pages. No matter what the commercial packages promise, you can't always exactly reproduce a look when you switch typesetters. Actually, there's no love lost here. We think the new look is more attractive and easier to read. We are taking this opportunity to make an assortment of pent-up changes in layout as well. If you're a bit nervous about changes we're making to good ol' CUJ, rest assured that our objectives in all this are to attain increased readability and higher information content — not bad objectives for a "techie," code-intensive publication. We have made the happy discovery that technical does not equate to ugly. We'll continue to tweak the layout in coming months, so please bear with us, and as always, give us your feedback.

As Senior Editor, however, I also have this silly preoccupation with technical content. The big news here is the debut of Bobby Schmidt as a regular monthly columnist. See "The Learning C/C++urve" later in this issue. (I tend to pronounce that with a stutter, as in "The Learning K-k-kurve.") He comes to us through the auspices of Dan Saks, our regular C++ columnist lo these many years. Bobby's charter is to address the more pragmatic needs of programmers, including those who must work with both C and C++ on a regular basis. I am always pleasantly surprised when I find a "language lawyer" who also writes about down-to-earth, real-world programming issues. Bob is just such a rare person. Welcome aboard, Bobby.

A side effect of adding Schmidt to our roster is that Dan Saks has reconsidered his charter as well. "Stepping Up to C++" is rather misleading for a column that now delves into the deeper mysteries of C++ as it is being standardized by ANSI and ISO. So Dan has been actively exploring ways to refocus his essays to be sure that we all work together to cover the varied needs of our readership. The lighter side of this exploration is a search for a new column title — a search in which you, too, can participate from the comfort of your own home/office/cubicle. See his column for details.

Magazines evolve over time, just like growing children, careers, and that mold in the back of your refrigerator. I mix my metaphors with a purpose. Some changes are really important, some are simply necessary, and some are just plain changes. So when I report the advent of a new columnist in the same breath as a change of fonts, I hope you understand that we don't equate them. To paraphrase Sherlock Holmes, you know my priorities — apply them.

P.J. Plauger
Senior Editor