Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #949632 in Books
• Published on: 1999-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 344 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
The Microsoft Component Object Model (COM) is the foundation behind Visual Basic 6, even if Visual Basic (VB) hides most of the inner details. To write better VB programs for the enterprise, chances are you'll need to take on at least some of the intricacies of COM. VB COM: A Visual Basic Programmer's Introduction to COM provides an approachable guide to today's COM and other Microsoft technologies.

The book begins with one of the most approachable and effective tours of COM you're likely to find anywhere. The author covers COM components along with fundamental terms (such as interfaces, Globally Unique Identifiers (GUIDs), IUnknown and the registry) with a minimum of hassle. In a section on OLE Automation, the author shows how to use VB to script Excel spreadsheets, while explaining the details of early and late binding, IDispatch, and dual interfaces.

Next the author discusses how to build components, starting with ActiveX servers (both dynamic-link libraries [DLLs] and standalone EXEs) and proceeding to ActiveX controls. (The section on building controls is particularly strong, with good coverage of Ambient and Extender objects and connection points for event handling.) Throughout, VB COM relies on tools-based examples, with plenty of screen shots from VB 6 tools (such as its Class Builder Wizard). Later the book moves on to the enterprise with coverage of Distributed COM (DCOM), multi-tiered architectures, Microsoft Transaction Server (MTS) and emerging standards such as COM+.

In all, VB COM delivers a clear picture of the inner workings of COM for the VB developer with a useful mix of simplicity and essential technical detail. --Richard Dragan

Synopsis
This book is geared towards the Visual Basic programmer who wants to begin discovering the benefits of Microsoft's Component Object Model (called COM) and how to use COM to build more dynamic applications. COM has traditionally been considered as something that VB programmers don't need to think about too much: VB is supposed to look after all the nitty-gritty of COM, leaving the VB programmer to rapidly develop working business solutions. However, with Microsoft pushing hard on its multi-tiered technologies, more and more people are becoming aware that COM is something important. For any moderately advanced VB programming at all, COM is present - often under the guise of ActiveX. COM underlies most of what is going on in VB. COM is components and objects: and there are hundreds of objects and components even in the basic VB environment. So what's going on? What is COM? Why is it important? What can VB programmers do with COM? For newcomers to COM, this is all a bit mysterious. For competent but relatively non-technical VB professional programmers, the full story of COM is still somewhat disjointed. Meanwhile, a new type of programming consultant is coming into existence: COM design experts. Why? Because as soon as start writing professional VB applications, you are making COM decisions (or VB is making them for you), whether it be with ActiveX, MTS, DCOM...and some of these decisions have real implications for the success of your software design and performance.

About the Author
Thomas Lewis has been working in the software business for 6 years. He became a Visual Basic programmer when he decided that 3 pages of C++ code to write a Windows-based "Hello World" application was too tedious and wanted a language that solved business scenarios quickly. Starting with Visual Basic 3.0, he set out on building solutions with Visual Basic that involve COM components, Windows DNA applications, and I*net applications. Thomas currently works for Microsoft evangelizing Windows DNA, SQL Server, Visual Basic and COM.

Customer Reviews

From hobbyist to VB developer in less than 400 pages
Before I read this book I knew of COM as something that every Windows developer should at least be aware of. This is a very well thought out book which doesn't just fire facts and code examples at you but gets you thinking about all the issues that need to be considered before even touching a keyboard.

The author bills his work as an introduction but I would suggest there is plenty of content for the most seasoned developers. It makes for an excellant reference and I for one will certainly be keeping them peeled for the next release in this series.

Difference between *.bas module and *.cls module?
Before COM was invented, VB programmers used *.bas modules in place of what are now *.cls modules. To migrate to COM you must know the difference --the why, how, pros, cons etc.

This book tells you the facts and turns you into a believer in COM!

Excellent Intro to COM for VB
Are you a VB programmer who needs to gain knowledge about COM, but don't know where to start ?

BUY THIS BOOK !

It is more like reading a gentle rolling story where you gain knowledge gradually. Unlike some books that start slow and then leap forward leaving you wondering if you missed chapter, this book is a continual gentle learning curve. By the time you get about a third of the way through, you suddenly realise you know the basics of COM, and want to read quicker. Take it easy, if you carry on reading this at a gentle pace, the knowledge flows out of the book, and at the end you are ready to start writing COM applications with a vengance.