Ask Dr. GUI #31
(Remember, he's not a real doctor. But he has a degree higher than a bachelor's.)
October 1996
Have a question? Dr. GUI's busy operating schedule won't allow this highly trained medical practitioner to answer all questions, but the Good Doctor will respond to as many as possible in the next release of the Library.
Dr. GUI invites you to e-mail him a stumper question on any aspect of Internet- or Windows-based development. (But remember that Dr. GUI doesn't make house calls. He cannot provide an individual answer to your question. If your question is selected for this column, he'll send you a free T-shirt.) Send to:drgui@microsoft.com.
If you still believe in musty, low-tech ways, you can use the postal address:
Dr. GUI
Microsoft Developer Network
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052-6399Fax: (206) 936-7329, Attn: Developer Network
Internet: msdn@microsoft.com
Dr. GUI Goes HMO
Oy, what a headache!
Those of you who are now living on what's euphemistically called "Internet Time" know what I mean. We're always shipping, shipping, shipping . . . and that means we're not sleeping, sleeping, sleeping.
To top it off, the Internet is supposed to be not only faster, but cheaper, too. (Dr. GUI gets paid from the profits on Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0, you know. . . . That's a joke. . . . Think about it, OK? Dr. GUI hasn't felt this rushed since he was assembling Chevy Vegas to pay for med school. It's enough to put you in the hospital.
So Dr. GUI's been forced to address the question "How can I provide more with less?" And, not feeling particularly creative, he came up with a solution that's been done before: Dr. GUI's HMO.
What could be more efficient than a health maintenance organization, you ask? Dr. GUI acts as the primary-care physician, doing some of the work himself. But, for the tough ones, he makes referrals to his crack team of specialists. These specialists are great: they know the innards of Visual Basic, OLE, networking, and Microsoft Foundation Class libraries (MFC) far better than any general practitioner could.
Better, Faster, Stronger—and It Sure Didn't Cost $6,000,000
With the burden spread, more of the good doctor's time is free, and we can answer 14 (count 'em) questions in this column. (Note: If you're still reading the printed newspaper, your mileage will vary.)
Now, on to the questions!
Questions in this issue:
But Isn't that a Little Forward of You? Forward Declarations
Check It Out! Debug Mode or Retail?
Getting Everyone Registered for the HMO
How Do You Say "Remote Automation" in C++?
Joliet, Joliet, Wherefore Art Thou Joliet?
SetCommState, SetCommState, Wherefore Art Thou?
Dr. GUI: Are You a Font Wizard?
What's ActiveX? This Time with Feeling
Tell It to the Grapevine: MAPI, OLE Messaging
Diagnosing Bitness: DUMPBIN and EXEHDR
How You Felt About Shorter Questions