Chapter 14: Developing ActiveX Controls with ATL

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Objectives:

• Understand ActiveX controls and property page objects.

• Get to know the core interfaces required by an ActiveX control.

• Understand stock, custom, and ambient properties.

• Build a Full Control with the ATL framework.

• Learn about COM's client-driven persistence model.

• Build property pages using the ATL framework.

• Build a Licensed Class Factory with IClassFactory2.

An ActiveX control is a high powered coclass, quite different from the previous COM objects built thus far, in that they typically offer a visual aspect. However, most ActiveX controls make use of each of the core COM services we have already examined. In this chapter, you will extend your current COM knowledge and learn about a number of new standard interfaces that deal specifically with GUI-based tasks such as rendering, sizing, activation, and property persistence. As well, you will see how ATL provides a stock implementation for each of these new interfaces. By the end of this chapter, you will be well equipped to build full ActiveX controls and any associated property page objects you may wish to support. In addition, this chapter introduces you to a number of control- centric details such as font manipulation, GDI routines, bitmap rendering, basic animation, and a web-based client.

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