This work describes progress in near-field optical science and technology. The title implies capabilities of optical near-field not only for imaging/microscopy but also for fabrication/manipulation/processing on a nanometric scale. The authors introduce the differences between near-field optics and far-field optics from both experimental and theoretical perspectives. The work touches on a wide range of topics in near-field optics, and can be used both by the novice and experienced researcher already familiar with the subject, to connect the experimental with the theoretical aspects of near-field optics.