Posted By: ɹǝʇɹod ʞıɹǝ | Aug 11th, 2006 @ 11:31 AM
This episode features the co-inventor of COM, software architect, Tony Williams. In his eighteen years at Microsoft, Tony has worked on the Windows team, in Microsoft Research, and on Office. His contributions benefit not just Microsoft's applications, but the fundamental way that all Windows applications are written. Tony has been an unwavering champion of componentized application development. Today (8/06) Tony is driving the design of a new component framework which will be used in Office 12.  This interview is hosted by software architect, Keith Kaplan.
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earnshaw
earnshaw
Jack Sleeps
Code reuse is a compelling idea.  Software componentry would decompose solutions into not only classes and modules, but also into reusable components.  So far, in practice, reusable components have not materialized in a big way.  It would be nice to see those fat books of patterns implemented as components and widely reused, if that's even technically possible.

As to COM, it solved a bunch of problems and created more.  Like the "Hello, World!" C++ program in Petzold that is some 200 lines long, a COM solution contains many an arcane line that caters to the dainty way COM objects must be approached to get them to do anything.  And using COM objects from across a network is an absolute nightmare. Stubs and proxies indeed.  Worst of all, the Registry is highly involved in GUID-to-<anything> mapping.  Any mishap in there and the application crashes without hope of repair.  Only replace.

In the end, COM served a very important purpose as a way to deliver versionable software.   Microsoft wrote millions of lines using COM.  COM's most important function was to serve as an example of how to burden programmers with issues they should not be bothered with like reference counting and instantiation.  The bit level constraints on the design of COM rose up and bit everyone who tried to play nice with it.  Out of COM came .NET Framework, which accomplishes most of what COM does without the muss, fuss, or bother.  Hide the wires brother and sister programmers!
AdityaG
AdityaG
OMG VISTA FTW LOLZ!!1one
Very cool interview. I know this is not totally relevant to content, but I felt the interviewer was very very very uptight and fake sounding. The older lady that usually hosts this show seemed to be a bit more casual.
Minh
Minh
WOOH! WOOH!
Co-inventor? Don't you mean CoCreator? Smiley
Chadk
Chadk
excuse me - do you has a flavor?
AdityaG wrote:
Very cool interview. I know this is not totally relevant to content, but I felt the interviewer was very very very uptight and fake sounding. The older lady that usually hosts this show seemed to be a bit more casual.

Agreed, she was alot better!
Internet is laying to rest and finally will lay to rest COM.

SOA is the new COM. But this time the environment is better. There is development support in terms of Windows Communication Foundation. And there is better adoption, both camps (Java and .Net) have embraced it.
Charles
Charles
Welcome Change
Minh wrote:
Co-inventor? Don't you mean CoCreator?


Smiley Nice, Minh
C
samirsshah wrote:
Internet is laying to rest and finally will lay to rest COM.

SOA is the new COM. But this time the environment is better. There is development support in terms of Windows Communication Foundation. And there is better adoption, both camps (Java and .Net) have embraced it.


I've started programming when .net just came out and so I've never really used or understood COM or Ole deeply. But if i haven't misunderstood COM was trying to encourage reuse through componentization and Ole was built to enable applications to reuse components of other applications through either embedded usage or object invocation. So how does Ole relate to COM?

I also agree that SOA is definitely the new COM, it definitely has more chance to achieve what COM couldn't achieve. But I have this cloud of doubt that software reuse is ever really possible, when i say that i mean efficient and cost-effective software reuse.

I really enjoyed the video btw.

erik_
erik_
Tablet Power
Why is the autocue standing a few meters next to the camera instead of under or above it. Never mind, it stops when the interview starts. Was still watching =)

Nice video, thanks!
Many thanks, I enjoyed this.

It's always good to hear some real opinions being expressed.
One of the highlights here is when Tony called the product name of XCal "disgusting" (48:30) Big Smile


The other Behind The Code episodes have been excellent too. Are there any plans to release these more often?


Jonathan