Locating Resources to Study OLE Automation

 Last reviewed: July 26, 1996
Article ID: Q152023
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft OLE libraries included with:

    - Microsoft Windows 95 - Microsoft Windows NT

SUMMARY

OLE automation allows a client application to call methods or properties of a server application. This article provides pointers to resources for studying OLE Automation using the Windows SDK.

MORE INFORMATION

Books

The following books provide a good introduction to implementing OLE automation using the Windows SDK:

  1. "OLE Automation Programmer's Reference" - Creating Programmable 32-bit applications. Microsoft Press. ISBN 1-55615-851-3.

    Read the following chapters for an introduction of automation servers and clients:

    Chapter 1: Overview of OLE Automation Chapter 2: Exposing OLE Automation Objects Chapter 3: Accessing OLE Automation Objects

    This book references the HELLO, LINES, BROWSE, and BROWSEH samples that ship with the Win32 SDK and the 32-bit Visual C++ compiler.

  2. "Inside OLE" - second edition by Kraig Brockschmidt. Microsoft Press. ISBN 1-55615-843-2.

    The following chapters provide information about OLE automation:

    Chapter 14: OLE Automation and Automation Objects Chapter 15: OLE Automation Controllers and Tools Chapter 3 : Type Information Chapter 4 : Connectable Objects

Samples

Samples available from the Microsoft Software Library are indicated by the Q number and the Title of the article pointing to the sample. All other samples can be obtained from the Win32 SDK and the 32-bit Visual C++ compiler. All samples are 32-bit unless otherwise indicated.

Servers

  • HELLO - Simple EXE-based automation server. This is a good sample to use to learn how to create your first automation server.
  • LINES - A more complex EXE-based automation server that also implements collections.
  • BROWSEH - An inproc (DLL-based) automation server.
  • SIMPAUTO - Simple EXE-based, 16-bit automation server. See the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 

          ARTICLE ID: Q107981.

          TITLE     : SAMPLE: Simple OLE Automation Object Sample


  • AUTODLL - Simple inproc (DLL-based), 16-bit automation server. See the
   Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    

          ARTICLE ID: Q107982.

          TITLE     : SAMPLE: OLE Automation Inproc Object


  • DISPCALC, DISPCALC2, SPOLY, and SPOLY2 are other servers that ship with
   the Win32 SDK. These are older samples and should be looked at only
   after you've seen the others previously mentioned in this section.

    

Clients

 


  • HELLCTRL - Client that controls the server using vtbl-binding.


  • BROWSE - Client that controls server using late-binding. The invhelp.cpp
   and invhelp.h files contain helper functions that make it easy to write
   clients for any server.


  • DISPDEMO - Client that controls server using late-binding.


  • AUTOCTRL - 16-bit automation client that uses late-binding. See the
   Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    

          ARTICLE ID: Q106080

          TITLE     : SAMPLE: OLE Automation Controller Sample


    Clients can also be easily written using Visual Basic.

    

    Type Library Browsers
    
 


    • TIBROWSE - Simple type library browser that demonstrates the use of
   ITypeLib and ITypeInfo.


    • BROWSEH - More complex type library browser.

      

    Type Library Builders
    
 


    • TYPEBLD - Demonstrates how to use ICreateTypeLib and ICreateTypeInfo to
   create a type library. See the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

      

            ARTICLE ID: Q131105

            TITLE     : SAMPLE: TYPEBLD: How to Use ICreateTypeLib &
                  ICreateTypeInfo


    Safe Arrays
    
 


    • SAFEARAY - Demonstrates the use of safe arrays. See the Microsoft
   Knowledge Base:

      

            ARTICLE ID: Q131086

            TITLE     : SAMPLE: SAFEARAY: Use of Safe Arrays in Automation


    • BINARY - Demonstrates the use of safe arrays to transfer binary data.
   See the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

      

            ARTICLE ID: Q131046

            TITLE     : SAMPLE: BINARY: Transfer Binary Data Using OLE Automation


    Optional and Variable Number of Arguments
    
 


    • OPTARG - Demonstrates the use of optional and variable number of
   arguments. See the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

      

            ARTICLE ID: Q131052

            TITLE     : SAMPLE: OPTARG: Optional Parameters with Automation


    Collections
    
 


    • LINES - Implements collections.


    • COLLECT - 16-bit sample that demonstrates how to implement collections.

      

    MultiLingual Servers
    
 


    • MULTLING - Server that implements properties and methods in three
   languages. See the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

      

            ARTICLE ID: Q107698

            TITLE     : SAMPLE: Multilingual OLE Automation Object

      

	      
	

	















	






Additional reference words: 3.51 OLE2 2.00

KBCategory: kbole kbprg kbwebcontent

KBSubcategory: LeTwoAt










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	Last reviewed:  July 26, 1996
	

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