Professional COM Applications With ATL

A key part of the book is the extended case study in which we produce a distributed events calendar that fits Microsoft's Distributed interNet Applications (DNA) model. This three-tier application uses flexible browser-based controls for the client user interface, business objects on both client and server to process the required information efficiently and Universal Data Access to perform the queries and updates. It depends on the support for component-based development now available for Windows NT server.

This book is for experienced Visual C++ programmers. No prior knowledge of COM or ATL is assumed, as the book gives a full tutorial to them both, as well as the relevant pieces of the BackOffice jigsaw - MTS, MSMQ, SQL Server and OLE DB.

The additions and changes to this book make it both significant and relevant to readers of the first edition, Professional ActiveX/COM Control Programming.

This book covers:

• Building ActiveX controls with the latest tools - ATL 3 and Visual C++ 6
• Designing and building a complete DNA intranet application with ATL components
• Using UML and design patterns to illustrate the development of COM-based solutions
• Making sense of controls and the interfaces they must support for OC94 and OC96 compliance
• Implementing business objects and creating OLE DB consumers
• Using MTS in the middle tier to provide transaction protection, rapid deployment and simplified security
• Using MSMQ for disconnected computing and guaranteed, asynchronous messaging
• Building DHTML/Visual C++ hybrid controls
• Considering NT and DCOM security

Summary of Contents

1. An Unusual Introduction to COM
2. Just When You Thought It Was Safe...
3. Writing an ActiveX Component From Scratch
4. ActiveX Controls the Easy Way: ATL 3
5. All About Controls
6. Designing A Distributed Calendar System
7. Building an ActiveX Calendar Control
8. Data Management with OLE DB
9. Microsoft Transaction Server and Distributed Objects with DCOM
10. Administering the Events Calendar
11. Security

Appendices