Delphi Programming with COM and ActiveX (Programming Series)

Rating:
Summary: If you are serious about COM, DON't BOTHER WITH THIS BOOK
Review: ***A V O I D *** T H I S *** B O O K !!!
In short, if you are serious about COM and ActiveX, or if you want to know in-depth detail info on COM or ActiveX in the context of Delphi, this book IS USELESS. The coverages on COM and ActiveX are, in my opinion, VERY VERY BASIC, NOT EVEN CLOSE.

There are total of 14 chapters, and the first 8 chapters, roughly 190 page, have little or nothing to do with COM and ActiveX. The author wasted 8 chapters in topics like Using Object Pascal and VCL to Develop Windows Applications, Exceptions and Interfaces in Delphi, Threading in Windows Applications, Working with Packages and components, Win32 API, Basic VCL Elements, Intoduction to Component Building, and Building Components. MOST OF THESE INFORMATION YOU CAN FIND IN THE DELPHI ON-LINE HELP.

Then, in the next 6 chapters, a total of 85 pages, the author went into COM Basics, Creating a Simple COM Object, Automation Servers, Using ActiveX Controls in Delphi, Creating ActiveX Controls, and Creating MTS Components. Don't be fooled by the titles of these chapters, you can find better information some where else, such as the Borland Delphi On-Line Help or other Delphi COM programming books.

.... Though, a little bit out-dated, the Delphi COM Programming is, in my opinion, the best coverage on COM subject in the context of Delphi.

***A V O I D *** T H I S *** B O O K !!!

Rating:
Summary: Good, clear coverage - but in 2002?
Review: I had to double-check the date on this book, and it is indeed a 2002 title (it even has a translation copyright of 2003).

Yet, in this age with developer tools vendors scrambling over themselves to provide Web Services, cross-platform portability and other "next generation" features, it seems unusual to come across a new title about the humble old COM and ActiveX interfaces.

I can't help but feel even if the book is new, the manuscript is old: the book purports to be "Delphi 6 compatible", which essentially means all the code samples and screen shots are from Delphi 5, but because COM is a stable technology, the text applies equally well to Delphi 6. Nevertheless, Borland's Delphi is actually now in its 7th incarnation anyway, although the point does still stand - with Microsoft making no further changes to the COM and ActiveX standards, modern day Delphi programmers should find no coding discrepancies between what they read in the book and how their Delphi operates.

All this aside, I must be fair - the book is clearly written, and COM is indeed an important technology. For those working with non-Microsoft tools, such as Delphi, it is certainly a major factor in making use of the vast array of pre-packaged components available on the Internet. Microsoft's MSDN Web site does contain a large amount of programming detail on COM and ActiveX but the sample code is predominantly for Visual C++, and hence this title does serve a useful purpose for Delphi programmers, working with the Object Pascal language.

However, at the end of the day I really can't help but feel the release is mis-timed by a couple of years. The bulk of experienced programmers will already have managed to get a handle on COM, and new programmers are likely to be working with Web Services from the onset.

For the niche market of experienced programmers new to Delphi and wanting to get a grip on COM, perhaps, then this book is a definite contender.