Understanding and Programming COM+: A Practical Guide to Windows 2000 DNA

For the professional programmer only: Clear and concise step-through using Visual C++. *.dsw files are there for the Visual C++ programmer--Click on the .dsw and straight away it launches Visual C++ 6.0. (I have all the ptches as of 2002.10.10.)Again, step-by-step instructions, useless for a beginner; Gold for the pro, who needs both excellent guidance and the code on CD. I didn't run the install program. I copied the CD to disk, instead. Then I looked inside the chapter directories, and clicked on *.dsw.

I have read just about every COM related books for C++ out in the market. Unlike many books that focus heavily on COM's technicality, this book focuses on COM's theory at a very high level.Compared to many other COM books out in the market, this is a very well written book. Very easy to read, quick to the point, and doesnt confuse beginners with heavy technical information.However, I must admit that it doesn't delve much into the internals of COM nor ATL. I would recommand this book to those who are just starting out COM+ or those who failed to fully grasp 'essensial Com' book.

The author masterfully balanced the intricate, devilish details of COM, MTS and COM+ with readability requirements of developers. I have read more technically thorough books on COM and MTS, but have never taken away more solid understanding and practical application skills in these technologies from any other publication than Understanding & Programming COM+.The examples are clear, straightforward and entirely centered around demonstrating the COM, MTS and COM+ theory exposed. This book explains the facts of these common technologies, which are widely misunderstood and more widely misused/abused, in a very practical, real-world manner. A must read for all the guys running around like headless chickens blaming Microsoft because "MTX.exe keeps crashing!!!!!" - You know who you are ;-)Finally, this is a very technologically agnostic book, which fairly compares/contrasts competitive transaction brokers with COM+ and respectfully explains programmatic techniques to both C++ and VB developers in a way that will offend neither - definitely a feat in itself!

All the different resources out there on COM and COM+ intimidated me. When I found this book, I was hesitant at buying it because it dealt with C++ also, and I am strictly a VB/Web programmer. However, now that I bought it and am going through the examples and chapters, I am realizing that this is one of the key benefits of this book. VB hides so many of the intricate details of COM/COM+ that you never really know how it works until you see it done in C++. So, buy this book read it through and do the examples. Then after wards you can consider getting a book strictly on VB programming. From what I have seen so far (on chapter 4) this book focuses heavily on making the reader not just know who to write VB COM+ objects, but actually understand how the IUnknown Interface (just one of many items) ties in with instantiating and destroying objects; basically stuff you will never need to know about with VB. So, once again if you really want to know more then just how to build a VB COM+ object then buy this book. Oh yeah, this book also covers all the COM+ Services like message queuing, transaction, and security (and much more)!!!!! You will want to have at least one machine with win2k server, and sql server 7. The book recommends three machines but it can be done with one for a test bed.

There is only I word I can describe this book - Excellent. It helps you in a lot of ways to understand how to program COM and COM+. The co-existance of VB and VC++ makes you understand the concept more clearly...strongly recommanded