ATL is a class library from Microsoft which allows you to create a variety of small fast COM objects/ActiveX controls. ATL is an excellent library to learn COM programming techniques. Many COM programmers are already using ATL and many more projects are converting to ATL. ATL provides you a lot of the boiler plate code allowing you to concentrate on the functionality provided by the COM object.

This class will give you a thorough introduction to COM using ATL and go behind the wizards to give you an inside look into the ATL implementation. This course includes a number of interactive demonstrations and comprehensive labs which will give the students experience with COM and ATL programming techniques. The students will understand both the limitations and strengths of ATL and how it can be used effectively in a COM programming project.

COM/COM+ Training Prerequisites

Exposure to Windows programming techniques. C++ experience required. No prior COM exposure required. A shorter version of this class is available for students with prior COM experience.

COM/COM+ Training Course duration

5 Days

COM/COM+ Training Course outline

• COM overview and rationale
• COM clients - concepts
• COM Servers - Implementing a inprocess server
• COM Servers - Implementing a Local Server, Standard and Custom marshalling
• Interface Definition Language (IDL)
• Intro to ATL, ATL rationale, philosophy and history, C++ template usage in ATL.
• IDL - Interface definition language
• ATL project - Anatomy of an inprocess or executable ATL project, CComModule, ATL AppWizard, object maps
• ATL object - Anatomy of a ATL object, Creation process, Core ATL classes , Interface maps, ATL object wizard
• ATL object - Part II Class factories, aggregation
• ATL utilities - CComPtr, CComQIPtr, registry scripts, debugging tips, ATL string macros
• ATL window classes
• Automation, Concepts, type libraries, dual interfaces
• Threading models
• Persistence, Structured storage, IPersistXXX interfaces
• Connection points
• ActiveX controls
• Optional - COM+ overview, COM+ services & tools