The Essential Distributed Objects Survival Guide (Paperback)

by Robert Orfali (Author), Dan Harkey (Author), Jeri Edwards (Author) "The next generation of client/server systems will inevitably be built using distributed objects..." (more)
Key Phrases: distributed object bus, frameworks for business objects, component nirvana, Interface Repository, Visual Basic, Implementation Repository (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
They're back--the aliens from the popular Survival Guide series have returned to Earth and they want to know all about client/server and objects. The authors take readers on an intergalactic tour of everything there is to know about client/server and object orientation including CORBA model, Business Objects, OpenDoc, OLE, ODBMS, and Component Suites.

From the Publisher
This lively, topical, all-inclusive guide is designed to help readers navigate through the new distributed objects technology. By targeting the key issues, it offers the information essential to make intelligent choices. Provides a distributed objects roadmap, defines distributed components and situates distributed objects within the client/server field. Details CORBA and its products. Contains an integrated treatment of compound documents and business objects. Includes a comprehensive account of OpenDoc, OLE, Taligent and OpenStep. Packed with illustrations, soapboxes, cartoons and quotes.

Product Details

• Paperback: 640 pages
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons (September 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471129933
• ISBN-13: 978-0471129936
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,836,798 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The bible of distributed objects, July 22, 1997

By A Customer

Orfali, Harkey & Edwards are some of the most influential leaders in the distributed object field. This book is highly readable, and does something that few comprehensive books do: present the technologies in a sufficient manner for both managers and programmers. Their biases are very clear throughout the book: they're rooting for CORBA/OpenDoc.. Which reflects the age of the book. Unfortunately OpenDoc looks to be lost, while CORBA continues to still be used by industry. They treat OLE (ActiveX) like a second-class component model. (It's up to you to decide if it really is :) However, this book will get you "there" faster than any other, with good sprinkles of Oliver Sims' Business Object work, and Taligent's Commonpoint technology (the concept of which may become our future computer user-interface..) A Must read!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good intro to CORBA, but info on OLE is outdated., February 25, 1997

By A Customer

First, this book is based upon information prior to August 1995. (There is a reference in the book to something that is to happen by August 1995.) The 1996 publish date is (IMHO) somewhat misleading. Their treatment of OLE/COM is partisan, but probably valid as of the date it was written. (See Understanding ActiveX and OLE for more current information.) Apparently Micro$oft agreed with some of the authors' objections, since some of the more objectionable parts of OLE have been changed. For example, ODL is out; enhanced IDL is in. All in all, it's a very good intro to CORBA/OpenDoc for people unfamiliar with the nonproprietary industry standard for distributed objects (like me). I'm glad I bought it, but I am searching for a better description of whatever it is in CORBA/OpenDoc that corresponds to Custom Controls (now known as ActiveX controls). Maybe I'm dense, but I missed it. I read this book after having read Understanding ActiveX and OLE. I'm glad I read these books in that order; I would have been mightily confused about OLE if my introduction to it was via The Essential Distributed Objects Survival Guide.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why distributed objects are important; competing approaches, September 16, 1996

By A Customer

Your company's choice of middleware that distributes server objects across a network will dictate the flexibility of your code base for years to come. Orfali, Edwards, and Harkey do a great job of explaining the issues involved with distributed objects and the competing solutions. TEDOSG (this industry needs a few more acronyms) contains three sections: background on distributed objects, including what features are important in an "object bus"; the OMG's open approach, including CORBA; and Microsoft's approach using OLE (now DOLE, I believe, for Distributed OLE). This book is very readable, although the technological issues are stupendous and not always easy to keep track of. It is very well produced, with great sidebars and illustrations.