COM interoperability and Platform Invocation Services (PInvoke) are large topics, and this book clearly and thoroughly presents a wealth of information about these two technologies essential for anyone moving to the Microsoft .NET platform. The focus of the book is COM interoperability. The four parts of the book cover using COM components in .NET applications, using .NET components in COM applications, designing great .NET components that may be used from COM, and designing great COM components to be used in .NET .NET source examples are provided in C#, VB .NET, and C++ with Managed Extensions. COM examples are provided in Visual C++ 6, IDL, and Visual Basic 6, to help the readers whose only exposure to COM is through Visual Basic. Throughout the book, special considerations for Visual Basic COM components are given. Various Microsoft COM-based technologies are discussed to demonstrate concepts in a realistic setting rather than only providing oversimplified examples.
Adam Nathan is a software design engineer on Microsoft's .NET Common Language Runtime QA team. Taking on the role of an external software developer, Adam has worked to ensure the quality and usability of COM Interoperability for close to three years. He has participated in the design decisions that have shaped the product from its beginnings, and thus is able to give a unique perspective when explaining this complex technology to the reader. Adam is a co-author of ASP.NET: Tips, Tutorial, and Code.
Adam has server on a panel of .NET experts, provided technical assistance during hands-on labs, and helped to prepare deonstrations at the Microsoft Professional Developers Conferences in 2000 and 2001. He has learned where developers of aqll skill levels frequently struggle with COM Interoperability and Platform Invocation Services, and regularly provides technical assistance on .NET mailing lists. Adam received an honors B.S. degree in computer science at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.