Microsoft Active Platform Sourcebook

Internet Research

ISSN: 1066-2243

Article publication date: 1 December 1998

292

Keywords

Citation

Lei, P.P. (1998), "Microsoft Active Platform Sourcebook", Internet Research, Vol. 8 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/intr.1998.17208eaf.009

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 1998, MCB UP Limited


Microsoft Active Platform Sourcebook

Microsoft Active Platform Sourcebook

Donald R. Brewer1997John Wiley & Sons Inc., Professional, Reference and Trade Group,605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158-0021.www.wiley.com/compbooks.Tel: +1 (212) 850-6011; Fax: +1 (212) 850-6008pp. 411ISBN 0 471-19068-3$US 29.99, $CA 42.50

Keywords Internet, Operating systems

Donald R. Brewer has published several high-impact titles on Netscape ONE, ActiveX, and Netscape LiveWire over the last few years. His most current title is on the Microsoft Active Platform. This is another useful sourcebook. It introduces users to the Active Platform and explains why its applications should be used on the Internet or an intranet. The book has a similar format to other Wiley sourcebooks. It explains in detail the three elements:

  1. 1.

    ActiveX;

  2. 2.

    Active Client; and

  3. 3.

    Active Server

that support the applications for the Active Platform.

Part I of this book describes ActiveX technology, what it controls, and how to create the controls. ActiveX technology consists of components that are interoperable across intranets and the Internet. The Visual Basic Control Creation Editor allows users to generate an ActiveX control within Internet applications.

Part II elaborates active clients such as the Internet Explorer and Java applets, Dynamic HTML or standard HTML, and Office 97 including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Outlook.

Part III covers the Active server, which provides the basic infrastructure for the platform. Windows NT and the Internet information server, are the two key applications. Other key services are networking, data management, and directory and security. Visual InterDev (a Web development tool designed specifically for programmers, unlike FrontPage is for the general public), related server pages, components, and distributed component object model (DCOM) are also fully explained.

In summary, this is a solid book providing basic information on how the Active platform works. The index is well constructed. The HTML samples, like the search.htm Web page, which allows users to do keyword searches quickly, are useful. Even though this book stresses Microsoft products, readers can keep abreast of what is available in the market to maximise the applications of their computers. I am happy to recommend this book as a useful addition to any computer reference collection.

Polin P. Lei Associate Librarian,Information Services Arizona Health Sciences, University of Arizona

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