[Joker_vD]

Yep, all hail the mighty

    #define CHECK(com_expr) hr = (com_expr); if (FAILED(hr)) { return hr; }

Ah, the memories... glad I don't have to touch it ever again. "And a million other things that, basically, only Don Box ever understood, and even Don Box can’t bear to look at them any more".

[pjmlp]

COM is where all new OS APIs land nowadays, since Vista.

Even if they are eventually wrapped in .NET libraries.