Customer Reviews

Vb Com

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

COM is a programmatic challenge in C++. Unfortunately many in-depth discussions of COM assume that you need to know all those pointer-level details. But as a VB developer, much of COM's interface complexity is handled automatically. Mr. Lewis approaches COM with this understanding.

The text is readable and thorough. Its diagrams have been stripped down to the specifics of each discussion. Even the lollipop diagrams are understandable. (I easily forgive the barnyard analogies.) The author attempts to clarify rather than dazzle. He makes IUnknown feel more like a friend than a stranger.

This is a worthwhile reference on its own, and a good supplemental text when studying for the VB Distributed (i.e., "VB COM") exam, 70-175. Its comfortable writing style belies a richness of content. The author's focus on his target audience is sustained and appropriate. No single book can cover everything (and you really don't want to see everything) about COM.

If you wish to bathe in the ugly realities of COM from a C++ perspective, Prendergast's MCSD Solution Architectures book is painfully detailed, and mostly about COM. (I do not recommend Prendergast for 70-100 exam preparation, if you're a VB developer.)

Weaknesses: Significant performance issues which relate to programming COM, DCOM and MTS are not addressed in great enough depth, nor with great enough emphasis. A good in-process COM object usually makes a dreadful object in MTS. Likewise, the critical need for custom marshaling of parameters to DCOM objects is slighted, as is the disastrous performance penalties of using collections.

A word about errors and editing. In the publishing industry, most book manuscripts require 18 to 36 months to reach the bookshelf. For books on emerging (and rapidly changing) technologies, publishers have gotten the cycle down to an astounding 6 to 9 months. Hence, more errors. My experience with Wrox books is that the errors are few, and tend to be typographical. Their technical editors are among the most thorough in the industry. In this particular book, the occasional errors are inconsequential.

Conclusion: If you are a VB developer who needs to learn more about COM, this is a solid choice. If you are a 70-175 exam candidate, read this book and enjoy that warm deja vu satisfaction after passing the exam. If you'll be doing COM with C++, buy a different book.

VBCOM by Thomas Lewis provides an excellent insight to the how VB programmers can use the power of Microsoft's Component Object Model (COM) to develop robust components for todays distributed applications.

This book is really aimed at beginners/inexperienced programmers who are just starting out with VB, but is also very useful to experianced programmers like me who just want to know more about COM, as it provides information and documentation that just can not be found in the VB on-line help.

The book gives the reader an excellent introduction to COM, and then goes on to discuss DCOM, ActiveX control and MTS development, giving tips on how these technologoies are best used. The book also has a good chapter on the future of COM, otherwise known as COM+ & DNA (Distributed interNet Architecture), so you also get an insight into Windows 2000, and Microsofts visions for the future of distributed component development.

By the end of the book you will appreciate how important a good understanding of COM is for really successful VB development, and how COM is actually very simple yet so powerful once you understand the basic concepts such as components, interfaces & coclasses.

Looking forward to the next book in the series.

Rich. VB/C++ Programmer.

I stay away from books with the pharse "learn XXXX in XX days" in the title as if they are the plague. And I have always been a little leary of books with the word "Introduction" in the title.

I read this book on the recommendation of a friend, and former collegue, to determine if it was an appropriate publication to get about 6 of our begining VB programers, ex fox pro guys, up to speed on COM.

This book not only met my criteria for this application but I found myself continually shaking my head in agreement with the author while I read the book. His methodologies are VERY sound and his approach to teaching COM is EXTREMELY easy to follow. Also, the author's writing style is very easy to read. This is NOT a 2 asprin per chapter book and I read it in about 4 days.

This book is a PRICELESS tool to get begining and seasoned VB programmers up to speed in COM. I promise you that you will be able to converse intelligently about COM in a week.

Mr.Lewis... I owe you a cold one!

Steve

PS. My only minor qualm with the book would be the step by step screen shots. However, for the intended audience of this book, I can see how they would be helpful.

Perfect little intro for VB COM, touching on the basic concepts on how to develop COM objects with VB.

Also, it is a very good companion for anyone studying for the MCSD 70-175 or I suppose 70-176 exams on COM subjects.

Every VB programmer needs to understand COM, and VB Com by Thomas Lewis teaches you just that. It starts off with an introduction to what COM is, and its history. Subsequent chapters go in depth in COM components, such as Automation, ActiveX EXEs and DLLs, and ActiveX Controls. These chapters are very detailed and have several examples for each type of COM component. The DCOM chapter is especially interesting. It is one of few books that describe DCOM and its architecture, along with how to create VB applications that utilize DCOM.

The number of pages is relatively small when compared to other Visual Basic books. Nonetheless, all 320 pages are choke-full of information, without all the jargon. I don't recommend this book for the beginner programmer. It is more for the intermediate to advanced programmer. Thomas Lewis's writing style is casual, which makes it easy to read and understand.

Overall, it is the best book for learning COM with Visual Basic.

This first book in VB COM series will be a excellent resource to people trying to get familar with COM. However, it is hard to follow the chapter on MTS and COM+.

This book lays a very good foundation for your understanding of COM. If you understand VB, you will be able to understand this book. Great book to have when you are writing COM/DCOM object.

Although this book was written over 3 years ago, it is still a good book for Visual Basic developers to learn COM. Microsoft wants you to think that everyone will be switching to Visual Basic.Net but the reality is there are a lot of Visual Baisc 6.0 shops out there and they have to support legacy COM components (ActiveX) for some time to come. Not all of those components are going to be converted to .Net. This book is a good starting point for any Visual Basic developers who want to learn COM including ActiveX DLLs and EXEs, ActiveX Controls, and Microsoft Transaction Server. The chapter on Microsoft Transaction Server could be a good step to COM+ on Windows 2000 and XP machines. Thomas Lewis takes you step-by-step from introduction to COM thru ActiveX components and finally thru Microsoft Transaction Server. He lays a good knowledge foundation and then with each succeeding chapter builds upon that knowledge. I would recommend that after you read this book that you follow it up the Peter Vogel's "Visual Basic Object and Component Handbook".

This book has too many pages full of screen shots. Aside from that however, and some funky humor, the book is great for entry-level VB COM developers. The material is easy to follow, the examples are great, and you'll learn from this book!

Very good book to introduce into the complex field of COMs. In my 7 yrs of programming, this book actually explains the subject of COMs in a very easy to understand manner.