Rating: 
Summary: Look for something better
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: There is some good ATL info in here after looking
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Inside ATL but not the outside
Review: I tried to read through this book in relation to the creation of ActiveX controls I however found information missing and holes in what was there. I ended with alot more questions that answers. A number of subjects ended with the reader having to come to there own conclusion without the book drawing the conlusion for you. This spends most of its time explains in detail how COM does this etc and why, but never how to use ATL on the outside. I found trying to use this book to write a simple project painfull and confusing. Internals it might have but as a explation of how to use ATL forget it. Its internals information is not even that good.
Rating:
Summary: There are better books than this
Review: I was looking forward to this book for several months. It was supposed to be released originally Oct. '98, but the release date kept getting later and later. I really thought once it did come out it would be a good book. Boy was I wrong. I would recommend trying a different book if you want to learn or use ATL.
Rating:
Summary: No value added
Review: I was really disappointed with this book. Although it does enumerate a fair number of the variations and choices present in ATL better than the MSDN docs do, it does nothing to explain what the more complex ones really do or why you'd want to use them.The trivial stuff is covered quite extensively but you'd expect anybody that has some proficiency with ATL and looks for a book called "INSIDE ATL" to want to know the dirt on the more advanced concepts/techniques. The reader probably knows plenty about the basics and is looking for real meat. Instead, he/she gets fluff. A case in point is the coverage of ActiveX control creation. The book joyfully enumerates the interfaces that ATL provides canned implementations for when you pick different options and macros, but zero information about how the canned implemetations work, how you extend them, what the implementation philosophy is... You know, all that stuff you actually need to know in order to do something *useful*. So, basically, the book does not live up to its billing.
Rating:
Summary: save your money
Review: It is better to look at ATL source code under ATL\include directory than read this book. You would have better understanding on ATL.
Rating: 
Summary: A one-dimensional insider's view.
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: For God sake, try something else
Review: The lousiest book I have ever read. I happened to buy this just because its from Microsoft press. I bet there should be better books on ATL
Rating:
Summary: For God sake, try something else
Review: The lousiest book I have ever read. I happened to buy this just because its from Microsoft press. I bet there should be better books on ATL
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Introduction to ATL
Review: 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.
| 
