>> I wonder whether COM is still a popular technology today. Meanwhile, >> is COM deployed in some other OS?
>> Thank you very much!
> Did you have a C++ language question?
It is, in a way.
COM is one of the few successful C++ component technologies, if not the only one (depending on one's definition of "successful"), and so it's very relevant to know whether it's dead, and is on-topic in the same way as e.g. "Is Boost dead".
Some reduced and slightly modified versions of COM are used in e.g. Linux user interface and in Firefox browser (XCOM). Original COM itself is however a Windows-specific technology. But while it's necessarily used to interface to the operating system and at higher levels in e.g. scripting, it's my impression that it's now now not much used as a general C++ component technology, i.e., that use of COM is something forced, not something desired and freely chosen. Microsoft had plans to make COM more attractive via e.g. language extensions, the fabled COM+ that in the end turned out as barely nothing more than a rebranding and bundling of their MSMQ. But as a side-effect of that effort, their "attribute" syntax endeth up in C++0x, so there's also a thread to standard C++... :-)
Cheers & hth.,
- Alf
-- Due to hosting requirements I need visits to <url: http://alfps.izfree.com/>. No ads, and there is some C++ stuff! :-) Just going there is good. Linking to it is even better! Thanks in advance!
> COM is one of the few successful C++ component technologies, if not the only one > (depending on one's definition of "successful"), and so it's very relevant to > know whether it's dead, and is on-topic in the same way as e.g. "Is Boost dead".
> Some reduced and slightly modified versions of COM are used in e.g. Linux user > interface and in Firefox browser (XCOM). Original COM itself is however a > Windows-specific technology. But while it's necessarily used to interface to the > operating system and at higher levels in e.g. scripting, it's my impression that > it's now now not much used as a general C++ component technology, i.e., that use > of COM is something forced, not something desired and freely chosen. Microsoft > had plans to make COM more attractive via e.g. language extensions, the fabled > COM+ that in the end turned out as barely nothing more than a rebranding and > bundling of their MSMQ. But as a side-effect of that effort, their "attribute" > syntax endeth up in C++0x, so there's also a thread to standard C++... :-)
> Cheers & hth.,
> - Alf
> -- > Due to hosting requirements I need visits to <url:http://alfps.izfree.com/>. > No ads, and there is some C++ stuff! :-) Just going there is good. Linking > to it is even better! Thanks in advance!
> >> I wonder whether COM is still a popular technology today. Meanwhile, > >> is COM deployed in some other OS?
> >> Thank you very much!
> > Did you have a C++ language question?
> It is, in a way.
> COM is one of the few successful C++ component technologies, if not the only one > (depending on one's definition of "successful"), and so it's very relevant to > know whether it's dead, and is on-topic in the same way as e.g. "Is Boost dead".
> Some reduced and slightly modified versions of COM are used in e.g. Linux user > interface and in Firefox browser (XCOM). Original COM itself is however a > Windows-specific technology. But while it's necessarily used to interface to the > operating system and at higher levels in e.g. scripting, it's my impression that > it's now now not much used as a general C++ component technology, i.e., that use > of COM is something forced, not something desired and freely chosen. Microsoft > had plans to make COM more attractive via e.g. language extensions, the fabled > COM+ that in the end turned out as barely nothing more than a rebranding and > bundling of their MSMQ. But as a side-effect of that effort, their "attribute" > syntax endeth up in C++0x, so there's also a thread to standard C++... :-)
> Cheers & hth.,
> - Alf
> -- > Due to hosting requirements I need visits to <url:http://alfps.izfree.com/>. > No ads, and there is some C++ stuff! :-) Just going there is good. Linking > to it is even better! Thanks in advance!
Linlin Yan wrote: > On May 8, 1:46 pm, "Alf P. Steinbach" <al...@start.no> wrote: >> * red floyd:
>>> blackbiscuit wrote: >>> Did you have a C++ language question? >> It is, in a way.
>> COM is one of the few successful C++ component technologies, if not the only one >> (depending on one's definition of "successful"), and so it's very relevant to >> know whether it's dead, and is on-topic in the same way as e.g. "Is Boost dead".
>> Some reduced and slightly modified versions of COM are used in e.g. Linux user >> interface and in Firefox browser (XCOM). Original COM itself is however a >> Windows-specific technology. But while it's necessarily used to interface to the >> operating system and at higher levels in e.g. scripting, it's my impression that >> it's now now not much used as a general C++ component technology, i.e., that use >> of COM is something forced, not something desired and freely chosen. Microsoft >> had plans to make COM more attractive via e.g. language extensions, the fabled >> COM+ that in the end turned out as barely nothing more than a rebranding and >> bundling of their MSMQ. But as a side-effect of that effort, their "attribute" >> syntax endeth up in C++0x, so there's also a thread to standard C++... :-)
>> Cheers & hth.,
>> - Alf
>> -- >> Due to hosting requirements I need visits to <url:http://alfps.izfree.com/>. >> No ads, and there is some C++ stuff! :-) Just going there is good. Linking >> to it is even better! Thanks in advance!
> Thanks to Alf! That sounds so interesting!
I have just applied for a job which requires "excellent MS COM skills" (sic) alongside several years' experience of C++, so unless the advertisers have mangled the job description, COM isn't dead yet.
The job requires "SQL/PLSQL, ASP.Net and Web skills including HTML, ASP, ASP.Net, JavaScript plus Linux/Unix. "
Also "communications protocol (serial and Ethernet networks) hardware devices, knowledge of SCADA or other control systems, VB, Java, PHP and database knowledge. "
Surprisingly, the job title is "Support Engineer", not "the Lord High Everything Else".
HGal...@teranews.com wrote: > I have just applied for a job which requires "excellent MS COM skills" > (sic) alongside several years' experience of C++, so unless the > advertisers have mangled the job description, COM isn't dead yet.
If you have a "legacy system", then it will probably showcase the technologies popular like 8 years ago.
> The job requires "SQL/PLSQL, ASP.Net and Web skills including HTML, ASP, > ASP.Net, JavaScript plus Linux/Unix. "
> Also "communications protocol (serial and Ethernet networks) hardware > devices, knowledge of SCADA or other control systems, VB, Java, PHP and > database knowledge. "
> Surprisingly, the job title is "Support Engineer", not "the Lord High > Everything Else".
> Wish me luck.
Hardly. I would bet "Support Engineer" means "debugger", and you are expected to hunt bugs through all the layers of a helluva huge system. Hide cyanide capsules in your new desk - you'll probably need them!
> That article is from year 2000. How does that have bearing on reality of year > 2009?
> -- > VH
It may not express the current reality about COM, however it could give us some views. In my opinion, the COM technology is very old and there are too many substitutes today. However, it has not been totally extinct yet, at least in many places, such as many IT companies in China, where programmers are still using COM technology, as far as I know. Last but not least, some technologies in common use such as DirectX are based on COM.
> HGal...@teranews.com wrote: > > I have just applied for a job which requires "excellent MS > > COM skills" (sic) alongside several years' experience of > > C++, so unless the advertisers have mangled the job > > description, COM isn't dead yet. > If you have a "legacy system", then it will probably showcase > the technologies popular like 8 years ago. > > The job requires "SQL/PLSQL, ASP.Net and Web skills > > including HTML, ASP, ASP.Net, JavaScript plus Linux/Unix. " > > Also "communications protocol (serial and Ethernet networks) > > hardware devices, knowledge of SCADA or other control > > systems, VB, Java, PHP and database knowledge. " > > Surprisingly, the job title is "Support Engineer", not "the > > Lord High Everything Else". > > Wish me luck. > Hardly. I would bet "Support Engineer" means "debugger", and > you are expected to hunt bugs through all the layers of a > helluva huge system. Hide cyanide capsules in your new desk - > you'll probably need them!
Most of the "support engineers" I've seen deal with user complaints. Most of which are due to the user not having read the manual. Or simply being stupid. It's worse than having to maintain bad code. (I worked some support jobs early in my career, and I can assure you that the lists that you see aren't exagerated. He can expect about 90% of the calls to be along the lines: the system isn't doing X, and after investigation, he finds out the reason is because the user configured X off.)
-- James Kanze (GABI Software) email:james.ka...@gmail.com Conseils en informatique orientée objet/ Beratung in objektorientierter Datenverarbeitung 9 place Sémard, 78210 St.-Cyr-l'École, France, +33 (0)1 30 23 00 34
> HGal...@teranews.com wrote: > > I have just applied for a job which requires "excellent MS COM skills" > > (sic) alongside several years' experience of C++, so unless the > > advertisers have mangled the job description, COM isn't dead yet.
> If you have a "legacy system", then it will probably showcase the technologies > popular like 8 years ago.
> > The job requires "SQL/PLSQL, ASP.Net and Web skills including HTML, ASP, > > ASP.Net, JavaScript plus Linux/Unix. "
> > Also "communications protocol (serial and Ethernet networks) hardware > > devices, knowledge of SCADA or other control systems, VB, Java, PHP and > > database knowledge. "
> > Surprisingly, the job title is "Support Engineer", not "the Lord High > > Everything Else".
> > Wish me luck.
> Hardly. I would bet "Support Engineer" means "debugger", and you are expected to > hunt bugs through all the layers of a helluva huge system. Hide cyanide capsules > in your new desk - you'll probably need them!
Please disregard such terrible advice. If the job doesn't work out, just give them notice and trust G-d to help you.
woodbria...@gmail.com wrote: >> Hardly. I would bet "Support Engineer" means "debugger", and you are expected to >> hunt bugs through all the layers of a helluva huge system. Hide cyanide capsules >> in your new desk - you'll probably need them!
> Please disregard such terrible advice. If the job doesn't work > out, just give them notice and trust G-d to help you.
But don't "give them notice" until you have the next gig lined up. (G-ds help those who help themselves, etc..;)
