ActiveX controls are a Microsoft technology that allows developers to reuse components. The ActiveX Template Library (ATL) is a C++ library of class and function templates. ATL is a faster, easier-to-learn alternative to Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC), that allows Windows programmers to produce compact code quickly. This book provides practical solutions for programmers, and explains these solutions on a detailed, technical level -- keeping the technology in a real-world context that many books lack. Programmers will learn how to create new ActiveX controls using ATL, and how to modify the thousands of available ActiveX controls to fit specific needs. Written by well-respected writer and teacher Brent Rector along with DevelopMentor's Chris Sells, the content of this book has been taught in courses for the Technology Exchange Company and Wise Owl Consulting. The book covers the latest version of ATL, 2.1, a major revision.