IDL Attributes

Article
04/22/2008

Traditionally, maintaining an .idl file meant that you had to:

Be familiar with the structure and syntax of an .idl file to be able to modify it.
Rely on a wizard, which would let you modify some aspects of the .idl file.

Now, you can modify the .idl file from within a source code file using Visual C++ IDL attributes. In many cases, Visual C++ IDL attributes have the same name as MIDL attributes. When the name of a Visual C++ IDL attribute and a MIDL attribute are the same, it means that putting the Visual C++ attribute in your source code file will result in an .idl file that contains its namesake MIDL attribute. However, a Visual C++ IDL attribute may not provide all the functionality of a MIDL attribute.

When not used with COM attributes, IDL attributes let you define interfaces. When the source code is compiled, the attributes are used to define the generated .idl file. When used with COM attributes in an ATL project, some IDL attributes, such as coclass, cause code to be injected into the project.

Note that idl_quote lets you use MIDL constructs that are not supported in the current version of Visual C++. This and other attributes such as importlib and includelib help you to use existing .idl files in your current Visual C++ project.

Attribute	Description
aggregatable	Indicates that a control can be aggregated by another control.
appobject	Identifies the coclass as an application object, which is associated with a full EXE application, and indicates that the functions and properties of the coclass are globally available in this type library.
async_uuid	Specifies the UUID that directs the MIDL compiler to define both synchronous and asynchronous versions of a COM interface.
bindable	Indicates that the property supports data binding.
call_as	Enables a nonremotable function to be mapped to a remote function.
case	Used with the switch_type attribute in a union.
coclass	Places class definition into an .idl file as coclass.
control	Specifies that the user-defined type is a control.
cpp_quote	Emits the specified string, without the quote characters, into the generated header file.
defaultbind	Indicates the single, bindable property that best represents the object.
defaultcollelem	Used for Visual Basic code optimization.
defaultvalue	Allows specification of a default value for a typed optional parameter.
default	Indicates that the custom or dispinterface defined within a coclass represents the default programmability interface.
defaultvtable	Defines an interface as the default vtable interface for a control.
dispinterface	Places an interface in the .idl file as a dispatch interface.
displaybind	Indicates a property that should be displayed to the user as bindable.
dual	Places an interface in the .idl file as a dual interface.
entry	Specifies an exported function or constant in a module by identifying the entry point in the DLL.
first_is	Specifies the index of the first array element to be transmitted.
helpcontext	Specifies a context ID that lets the user view information about this element in the Help file.
helpfile	Sets the name of the Help file for a type library.
helpstringcontext	Specifies the ID of a help topic in an .hlp or .chm file.
helpstringdll	Specifies the name of the DLL to use to perform document string lookup (localization).
helpstring	Specifies a character string that is used to describe the element to which it applies.
hidden	Indicates that the item exists but should not be displayed in a user-oriented browser.
idl_module	Specifies an entry point in a DLL.
idl_quote	Allows you to use attributes or IDL constructs that are not supported in the current version of Visual C++.
id	Specifies a DISPID for a member function (either a property or a method, in an interface or dispinterface).
iid_is	Specifies the IID of the COM interface pointed to by an interface pointer.
immediatebind	Indicates that the database will be notified immediately of all changes to a property of a data-bound object.
importlib	Makes types that have already been compiled into another type library available to the type library being created.
import	Specifies another .idl, .odl, or header file containing definitions you want to reference from your main .idl file.
include	Specifies one or more header files to be included in the generated .idl file.
includelib	Causes an .idl or .h file to be included in the generated .idl file.
in	Indicates that a parameter is to be passed from the calling procedure to the called procedure.
last_is	Specifies the index of the last array element to be transmitted.
lcid	Lets you pass a locale identifier to a function.
length_is	Specifies the number of array elements to be transmitted.
licensed	Indicates that the coclass to which it applies is licensed, and must be instantiated using IClassFactory2.
local	Allows you to use the MIDL compiler as a header generator when used in the interface header. When used in an individual function, designates a local procedure for which no stubs are generated.
max_is	Designates the maximum value for a valid array index.
module	Defines the library block in the .idl file.
ms_union	Controls the network data representation alignment of nonencapsulated unions.
no_injected_text	Prevents the compiler from injecting code as a result of attribute use.
nonbrowsable	Indicates that an interface member should not be displayed in a property browser.
noncreatable	Defines an object that cannot be instantiated by itself.
nonextensible	Specifies that the IDispatch implementation includes only the properties and methods listed in the interface description and cannot be extended with additional members at run time.
object	Identifies a custom interface; synonymous with custom attribute.
odl	Identifies an interface as an Object Description Language (ODL) interface.
oleautomation	Indicates that an interface is compatible with Automation.
optional	Specifies an optional parameter for a member function.
out	Identifies pointer parameters that are returned from the called procedure to the calling procedure (from the server to the client).
pointer_default	Specifies the default pointer attribute for all pointers except top-level pointers that appear in parameter lists.
pragma	Emits the specified string, without the quote characters, into the generated .idl file.
progid	Specifies the ProgID for a COM object.
propget	Specifies a property accessor (get) function.
propputref	Specifies a property setting function that uses a reference instead of a value.
propput	Specifies a property setting function.
ptr	Designates a pointer as a full pointer.
public	Ensures that a typedef will go into the type library even if it is not referenced from within the .idl file.
range	Specifies a range of allowable values for arguments or fields whose values are set at run time.
readonly	Prohibits assignment to a variable.
ref	Identifies a reference pointer.
requestedit	Indicates that the property supports the OnRequestEdit notification.
restricted	Specifies that a library, or member of a module, interface, or dispinterface cannot be called arbitrarily.
retval	Designates the parameter that receives the return value of the member.
size_is	Specifies the size of memory allocated for sized pointers, sized pointers to sized pointers, and single- or multidimensional arrays.
source	Indicates that a member of a class, property, or method is a source of events.
string	Indicates that the one-dimensional char, wchar_t, byte, or equivalent array or the pointer to such an array must be treated as a string.
switch_is	Specifies the expression or identifier acting as the union discriminant that selects the union member.
switch_type	Identifies the type of the variable used as the union discriminant.
transmit_as	Instructs the compiler to associate a presented type, which client and server applications manipulate, with a transmitted type.
uidefault	Indicates that the type information member is the default member for display in the user interface.
unique	Specifies a unique pointer.
usesgetlasterror	Tells the caller that if there is an error when calling that function, the caller can then call GetLastError to retrieve the error code.
uuid	Specifies the unique ID for a class or interface.
v1_enum	Directs that the specified enumerated type be transmitted as a 32-bit entity, rather than the 16-bit default.
vararg	Specifies that the function take a variable number of arguments.
vi_progid	Specifies a version-independent form of the ProgID.
wire_marshal	Specifies a data type that will be used for transmission instead of an application-specific data type.

IDL Attributes

See Also

Concepts

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