2. DETAIL
Author : Eric Harmonq
Pages : 500 pagesq
Publisher : QUE 2000-01-19q
Language : Englishq
ISBN-10 : 1578702216q
ISBN-13 : 9781578702213q
Description
COM, as the author of Delphi COM Programming points out early on, is hard. This is in part because of the way it has evolved
from Microsoft s OLE, which is really DDE....OK, let s stop there. COM enables Windows programmers to create objects which
are language and programming environment agnostic. This is especially useful for non-VB users. Eric Harmon gets deep into
the guts of Delphi s COM 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, ActiveX controls (including lots of background on why you should use ActiveX
when Delphi provides its own VCL format, VCL to ActiveX gotchas and distribution issues). He also gets into DCOM, structured
storage and Windows shell programming. Delphi COM Programming is part of a series looking at programming areas in
massive detail. This title succeeds brilliantly in its mission. With COM underpinning most serious Windows programming, this
book needs to be on every Delphi developers shelf.--Steve Patient
Delphi COM Programming