COM is “Component Object Model”, or something like that.  It is a Microsoft technology that forms the underpinning of how Windows applications interact with each other.  A “COM Object” is commonly created using “ATL”, which stands for Active Template Library, or possibly ActiveX Template Library.

ATL/COM programming tends to be somewhat complex, and a lot of the information on the subject is difficult to read and understand.  The examples that are published are usually not quite what you need, and sometimes you have to dig and piece together information from many sources to get something accomplished.

My notes here are probably just as unclear as the rest of the information that is out there.  I more or less put it here for my own information.  It gives me a place to look to find things I have done over and over, and still can’t remember how to do.