Essential IDL
Interface Design for COM
Published on 9. January 2001
Book
Paperback/Softback
384 pages
978-0-201-61595-1 (ISBN)
Description
Virtually all COM projects should begin with IDL, because defining interfaces is the key to successfully designing any COM project. Essential IDL is the first book that focuses entirely on IDL, providing in-depth explanations of both the language and its applications. Essential IDL starts by explaining why IDL exists, what it is for, and what can be done with it. All aspects of IDL syntax are covered: basic interface definition, complex data types, array handling, marshalling issues, and more. From start to finish, the focus is pragmatic. Expert COM developer Martin Gudgin presents extensive IDL code samples and resulting C++, Java, and VB language mappings, demonstrating exactly how to use IDL constructs sensibly and efficiently in both client-side and server-side projects. Gudgin takes a top-down approach, starting with interfaces, then drilling down into simple data types, complex types, pointers and arrays; and finishing with aliasing and other esoteric IDL constructs. The second half of the book is a complete reference guide to all of IDL's data types, modifiers, keywords and attributes.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Boston
United States
Publishing group
Pearson Education (US)
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 233 mm
Width: 185 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
755 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-201-61595-1 (9780201615951)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Martin Gudgin works at DevelopMentor, where he spends his time thinking about component software and related technologies. A Windows developer since 1987 and a COM developer since 1994, Martin has trained and mentored developers from a wide range of companies, including Microsoft, in numerous technical areas such as COM, IDL, MTS, and COM+.
0201615959AB05302001
0201615959AB05302001
Content
1. Hello, IDL.
What Is IDL?
Defining Interfaces.
Adding Parameters.
More on Directionality.
Conclusions.
2. Structure of an IDL File.
Interfaces and Type Information.
Inside the Library Block.
Versioning Type Libraries.
Producing C++ Type Information.
Outside the Library Block.
Building a Proxy-Stub DLL.
Interface Definitions, Type Libraries and the Oleautomation Attribute.
The Local Attribute.
Importing Other Files.
Importing Files in the Library Block.
Coclasses.
Conclusions.
3. Data Types and Interface Issues.
Primitive Data Types.
Signed and Unsigned Data Types.
Char vs Byte.
Char vs Wchar_t.
LPOLESTR vs BSTR.
Enumerated Types.
Object References.
Structures.
Unions.
The VARIANT.
Typedefs.
Properties.
Interface Inheritance.
Dispatch Interfaces.
Conclusions.
4. Pointers and Arrays.
Pointer Basics.
Pointers and Const.
Pointer Semantics.
Top-level vs Embedded Pointers.
Pointers and Language Mappings.
Object References and Pointers.
Arrays.
Fixed Size Arrays.
Conformant Arrays.
Conformant Pointers.
Conformant Pointers as Output Parameters.
Simulating Fixed Size Arrays Using Conformance.
Multi-dimensional Conformant Pointers.
Arrays as Structure Members.
Jagged Arrays.
SAFEARRAYs.
Conclusions.
5. Aliasing.
Method Aliasing.
Type Aliasing.
More Type Aliasing.
Conclusions.
6. Asynchronous COM.
Asynchronous Calls.
Client-side Asynchrony.
Server-side Asynchrony.
Conclusions.
7. IDL Types.
8. IDL Type Modifiers.
9. IDL Keywords.
10. IDL Attributes.
Bibliography.
Index. 0201615959T04062001
What Is IDL?
Defining Interfaces.
Adding Parameters.
More on Directionality.
Conclusions.
2. Structure of an IDL File.
Interfaces and Type Information.
Inside the Library Block.
Versioning Type Libraries.
Producing C++ Type Information.
Outside the Library Block.
Building a Proxy-Stub DLL.
Interface Definitions, Type Libraries and the Oleautomation Attribute.
The Local Attribute.
Importing Other Files.
Importing Files in the Library Block.
Coclasses.
Conclusions.
3. Data Types and Interface Issues.
Primitive Data Types.
Signed and Unsigned Data Types.
Char vs Byte.
Char vs Wchar_t.
LPOLESTR vs BSTR.
Enumerated Types.
Object References.
Structures.
Unions.
The VARIANT.
Typedefs.
Properties.
Interface Inheritance.
Dispatch Interfaces.
Conclusions.
4. Pointers and Arrays.
Pointer Basics.
Pointers and Const.
Pointer Semantics.
Top-level vs Embedded Pointers.
Pointers and Language Mappings.
Object References and Pointers.
Arrays.
Fixed Size Arrays.
Conformant Arrays.
Conformant Pointers.
Conformant Pointers as Output Parameters.
Simulating Fixed Size Arrays Using Conformance.
Multi-dimensional Conformant Pointers.
Arrays as Structure Members.
Jagged Arrays.
SAFEARRAYs.
Conclusions.
5. Aliasing.
Method Aliasing.
Type Aliasing.
More Type Aliasing.
Conclusions.
6. Asynchronous COM.
Asynchronous Calls.
Client-side Asynchrony.
Server-side Asynchrony.
Conclusions.
7. IDL Types.
8. IDL Type Modifiers.
9. IDL Keywords.
10. IDL Attributes.
Bibliography.
Index. 0201615959T04062001