Lecture #16 - Interface Definition Language

Web Resources:

Linux Tutorials eclipse Code Project SysInternals Best SysInternals Tools Dr. Dobb's Journal Windows Forms COM at MSDN IDL Language base MIDL types OLE data types IDL attributes MIDL data types MIDL Language Reference

Content:

Today we discuss Interface Definition Language (IDL) and COM types.

1. Syllabus
   Describes topics to be covered, reading material for you to digest before coming to class, and due dates for the assigned projects.
2. Project #2, Final Projects

3. Microsoft Component Object Model (COM):

   COM Roadmap
   Comparison of COM and .Net component models
   In-Proc Components
   Class Diagram
   Structure Chart
   Activation Diagram
   Building COM Components

4. COM Tools:

   Add External Tools
   Register Tool
   unRegister Tool
   Register Type Library Tool
   guidgen tool
   What to Register?
5. Building COM Components
   Instructions and Fixes:
   Building COM components is more complicated than building non-COM C++ projects. Find instructions here.

6. In-Process Components:

   Objects Supporting Multiple Interfaces
   Demonstrates how an ordinary C++ class can support multiple interfaces.

   Virtual Function Pointer Table
   You won't understand IUnknown::QueryInterface unless you understand this diagram.

   In-Proc Component code
   We will go over this code, line-by-line.

   class diagram, structure chart, activation diagram, products of MIDL compilation
   These diagrams will help you understand the structure and operation of the In-Proc example.

   Building Raw C++ COM component - detailed notes

7. IDL and COM types
   IDL Presentation
   These slides discuss how to describe the structure of a COM interface.

   BSTRs - COM Strings, SafeArrays - COM Arrays, Variants - COM ObjectType

   Oleautomation types

   Interfac Project
   Shows how to pass most common types of data through COM interfaces, e.g., basic types, strings, pointers, and arrays.

8. Web API - REST
   Scott Guthrie's RSS Feed