Delphi COM ProgrammingEric Harmon
Taschenbuch
C O M, as the author of < I> Delphi C O M Programming points out early on, is hard. This is in part because of the way it has evolved from Microsoft's O L E, which is really D D E. . . . O K, let's stop there. C O M enables Windows programmers to create objects which are language and programming environment agnostic. This is especially useful for non-V B users. Eric Harmon gets deep into the guts of Delphi's C O M support, starting with the differences and similarities between Delphi interfaces and abstract classes. It's not a book for tyros. You're assumed to be a competent Delphi programmer, and you need to be as much of the discussion is in the form of program fragments, which can also all be downloaded from the publisher's Web site. ( Some will wonder why so many were printed: even programmers aren't likely to need all the included multi-page code fragments, which make for uncomfortable reading and are more accessible and useful in a digital format. ) The information here, however, goes seriously deep. Harmon doesn't just tell you what you can do, but what you can't, what happens when you try, and why it happens. He covers type libraries, automation, Active X controls (including lots of background on why you should use Active X when Delphi provides its own V C L format, V C L to Active X gotchas and distribution issues). He also gets into D C O M, structured storage and Windows shell programming. < I> Delphi C O M Programming is part of a series looking at programming areas in massive detail. This title succeeds brilliantly in its mission. With C O M underpinning most serious Windows programming, this book needs to be on every Delphi developers shelf. -< I> Steve Patient
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