Customer Reviews

Inside ATL (Programming Languages/C)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I feel sorry for any author who has to explain ATL. It must be a miserable job.

C++ Templates, COM, Registry entries, in-process and out-of-process servers-- these subjects each have to be discussed before you can really get into ATL, and learn what it does and how it can help you. Quite a bit of prep work there.

Like other ATL books out there, this one has it's confusing parts. After about the first 100 pages or so, the authors start explaining the internal workings of ATL objects, and man, does it make for a tough read. Various ATL classes are briefly mentioned here and there, this one is used as a template parameter for that one, and pity the poor reader who's new to the ATL game!

Still, I can't blame the authors here, but rather the subject matter. If you keep cool, and don't worry whenever the authors expand those ATL macros and try to explain their inner workings, you can progress along fairly quickly.

Most parts of the book are very well explained, and if you're someone who *must* know about ATL's internal workings in depth, then this book is a good one to start with. If you're new to ATL, you can definitely profit by reading this, but look for a beginner's companion to keep close by.

Excellent book for readers yearning a stronger understanding of ATL and COM. The auther does a concise job of explaining some of the more difficult or less well understood aspects of COM - APARTMENTS and THREADS.

Apartments and threads, in most other COM books are often inadequete and rushed - not this book. The level of detail to apartments and threads can easily make this book worth buying all together, not to say, that the rest of the book isn't worth reading because it is.

Although, they did a wonderful job of explaining threads and apartments this book isn't without its challenges. For example, to understand many of the code samples you must have some Windows 32 programming experience or be familiar with some of the Win32 API calls and libraries. Make sure you have a Windows 32 programming book as reference (e.g. Advanced Windows by Jeffrey Richter).

Furthermore, I can understand how some readers may be intimidated by this book because they might not be as comfortable working with C++, templates, macros and the Win32 API...typical in most hardcore COM books I have read. However, don't let that stop you from reading this book. Just make sure that you purchase the necessary reference books to bring yourself up to speed.

So, if you want to understand the internals of "ATL" and "COM", do yourself a favor and buy this book. It should have an excellent shelf life, unlike some of the other COM books I've purchased, such as "Beginning ATL COM" from Wrox (save your money on this book).

Over the years I've come to rely upon a few trusted books on COM and Win32 programming and have provided them below:

COM:
- Essential COM by Don Box (COM primer)
- Inside COM by Dale Rogerson (COM primer)

WIN 32 PROGRAMMING:
- Advanced Windows by Jeffrey Richter (good advanced topics...threading, kernal, locking)
- Programming Windows by Charles Petzold (good all-around ref.)
- Learn Windows Programming in 21 days (excellent primer!)

I found that the best way to grasp ATL is to understand COM in the first place. This book covers a lot about the basics of COM and does a pretty good job of mapping how COM maps to ATL. I did find some holes, but was able to fill them using Rector and Sell's book "ATL Internals". Definitely check that book out, too.

This book is written in a style that is enjoyable and very easy to follow. It contains alot of practicle information for developers building ActiveX controls. The Scribble sample in the Writing Applications with ATL chapter is also very good.

I had just about given up hope of finding one single book that could help me understand ATL - then I found this book. As an experienced C++ programmer, but a newcomer to ATL, I looked for a single source of information on the hows and whys of ATL. There are many good books out there, but each seems to fill a niche. But with this book I found, in one place, answers to all the questions I've been wrestling with for months now. Besides covering ATL, it contains a wealth of tips and tidbits that you'll likely run across during coding and testing that arent covered anywhere else. This fact alone justifies buying the book. I'm resigned that one book cant cover everything a programmer may need to know about ATL, but after digesting this one I'm confident that I'll be able to digest the others as well. I paid list price for this one, but I dont regret it. Neither will you.

I only wish there was a 0 star rating. I don't recommend this book. While I agree ATL is complex, the book skips around, has unclear examples, and left me more confused then when I started.

I started some ATL programming in my company and wanted to buy some books on the subject. I got this one because it was from Microsoft. The presentation of useful material is scattered through out the book and if you can get through the first couple of chapters, you can get to some pretty interesting stuff. I really liked the discussion of COM identity and how interface maps worked.

ATL is fairly complex and this book tries to cover it from the very beginning. There's chapters on COM and even C++ templates here. Not sure if they're necessary for everyone, but they do fill out the story. I think the rest of the book tries to map ATL to raw COM.

Pedantic repitition of technical details that can be found elsewhere. Not concerned with questions of practicality, and seldom willing to become critical. Can't recommend.

This book is good for someone looking at ATL and wondering - how do I begin with all of this? What is this useful for?

Advanced developers may be looking for more, but beginner to intermediate developers should find plenty of useful material to draw from.

A good buy... Should become the "C++ Primer" for ATL.