Introduction

This book provides procedural and reference information for Automation (formerly called OLE Automation). While Automation runs on other platforms, the focus of this document is applications that use the Microsoft® Windows® 32-bit operating system.

To get the most out of this book, you should be familiar with:

• The C++ and Microsoft Visual Basic® programming languages.
• The Microsoft Windows 95 and Windows NT® programming environments.
• The OLE protocols that are implemented through dynamic-link libraries (DLLs) and used in conjunction with other Microsoft Windows programs.
• The Component Object Model (COM).

The information in this book is available in two formats: an online version is available on the Win32® Software Development Kit (SDK), which is contained on the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN); a print version is available through Microsoft Press®.