COM (the Component Object Model) is the basis for Windows programming into the 21st century. COM is the grand unifying technology on Microsoft platforms, providing the core infrastructure for current and future generations of Windows programmers. It is the object model underlying ActiveX controls, DirectX, OLE DB, ADO, ADSI, and just about every significant technology to have emerged from Microsoft in the last 3 years. COM allows the creation of component-based applications and distributed business solutions. ATL (the Active Template Library) is the premiere C++ class library for COM development. ATL is currently at version 3.0 (distributed with Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0) and is available with other compilers and on non-Windows operating systems.
ATL COM Programmer's Reference
