Use Perl with COM Techniques in Administration and DevelopmentDiscover why Perl is the perfect language for Windows scripting and systems administration. Author Scott McMahan explains the Microsoft concept of automation, and shows you how you can use Perl with COM techniques to realize it. Save time and effort in administration and development. Getting the most out of Window's multitasking and networking requires a different way of thinking. This book is a hands-on, project-oriented, guide that demonstrates how to achieve automation in MSWindows by controlling many Win32 system processes without immediate user interaction. Implement solutions fast. Each chapter presents a case study in which the author has used the power of Perl to automate some part of Windows. Code for the programs, and a Perl interpreter, appear on the CD-ROM. Discussions range from pure Perl programs like a UNIX 'cron' clone to programs that use Automation to control other software including Microsoft Office applications. Additionally you will learn to: - Send mail the SMTP way - Automate nightly backups - Smoke test your application in Developer Studio - Use Perl to automate rebuilds - Create C++ add-ins for Perl - Use Perl as a CGI scripting language So kick back! Perl, in Windows, is the ultimate automation client because coding is as painless as Visual Basic, and Perl's strength as a scripting language for running jobs automatically is unparalleled. Author Biography: Scott McMahan manages a network of Windows and UNIX machines at Softbase Systems Inc, and has been using Perl since 1992. He is a book reviewer and author for the online site Cyber Reviews, and an occasional contributor to Windows Developer's Journal.