Professional DCOM Programming [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

Professional DCOM Programming is a dense, comprehensive tome that covers everything an experienced C++ programmer could want to know about DCOM, Microsoft's Distributed Component Object Model. Author Richard Grimes covers DCOM's origins, differences from COM, and techniques for writing both DCOM clients and servers. What the book sometimes lacks in readability it makes up in thoroughness: nothing is left out, from security to multithreading, and the level of detail reached within each section is remarkable.

The book starts by examining why we need to be able to implement and distribute code objects, and looks at the various systems of distribution that currently exist. The book then narrows the focus down to sharing data and functionality on Windows. This leads into an examination of COM, and from there, logically, to DCOM. We show how DCOM builds on the foundations of COM and RPC.

You'll quickly get to grips with the essentials of DCOM programming and we build on this base with thorough coverage of MIDL, Microsoft's Interface Definition Language. MIDL allows you to define your interfaces, create Type Libraries and provide marshaling support. All of these topics are covered in depth and backed up with strong code examples written using the latest tools.

The latter half of the book looks at the design and implementation of distributed applications. Each chapter covers a topic of prime importance to DCOM programmers. Security is fully explained, starting with the NT security model and exploring how it relates to DCOM. You'll then see how to write your DCOM servers as NT services, before being drawn into the murky world of multithreaded applications. The book shows how to use threads in Win32 and in DCOM servers, covers the different threading models and also looks at the issues of passing interface pointers between threads. Finally, you'll see how Microsoft Transaction Server can ease the life of a DCOM developer as well as the new issues introduced by this product.

This work starts by examining why we need to be able to implement and distribute code objects, and looks at the various systems of distribution that currently exist. The book then narrows the focus down to sharing data and functionality on Windows. This leads into an examination of COM, and from there, logically, to DCOM. It shows how DCOM builds on the foundations of COM and RPC. The reader should get to grips with the essentials of DCOM programming and build on this base with thorough coverage of MIDL, Microsoft's Interface Definition Language. MIDL allows one to define your interfaces, create Type Libraries and provide marshaling support. All of these topics are covered in depth and backed up with strong code examples written using the latest tools. The latter half of the book looks at the design and implementation of distributed applications. Each chapter covers a topic of prime importance to DCOM programmers. Security is fully explained, starting with the NT security model and exploring how it relates to DCOM. The book then shows how to write your DCOM servers as NT services, before being drawn into the murky world of multithreaded applications.

A thorough explanation of DCOM and developing DCOM objects
DCOM is more than just "COM with a longer wire", when Microsoft released DCOM they added to COM object security, a new threading model and the ability of implementing COM objects in NT services and they allowed you to activate an object on another machine. In my book I cover all these topics with copius code written in C++ with ATL 2.1, MFC 4.2 and VB 5.0. Other topics include: Comparison with other distribution methods (CORBA, DCE RPC, RMI, JavaIDL). Full explanation of IDL and how to use MIDL. The NT Security model and how to use it. How to write an NT service. Full description of the NT Event Log. Threads in Win32 and COM. Review of Microsoft Transaction Server.

ATL took hold of Richard while he was part of a team developing a COM-based workflow system. Its elegance and symplicity had a lasting effect on him. Now, although Richard does not live an obsessively pure COM lifestyle, he finds that ATL gives him more time to enjoy his garden. Richard writes and advises on COM and ATL, and can be contacted via email at atl.dev@grimes.demon.co.uk.