This work moves at a fast pace, illustrating techniques and discussing underlying technology. It dives into the details of the Component Object Model (COM) and how to write an ActiveX control from scratch or with the ActiveX Template Library. Next, the book lays out the construction of an ActiveX calendar control and tells how to make it work with legacy architectures using DCOM. The text then goes into a detailed discussion of DCOM, security, and ActiveX integration with intranets. Appendix A presents a nice architectural discussion of real-world business use of the Internet and closed intranets.