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IDL Attributes

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 Studio 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.

See also

Attributes by Group