<programming> A type of COM component that can
self-register, also known as an "ActiveX control". All COM
objects implement the "IUnknown" interface but an ActiveX
control usually also implements some of the standard
interfaces for embedding, user interface, methods, properties,
events, and persistence.
ActiveX controls were originally called "OLE Controls", and
were required to provide all of these interfaces but that
requirement was dropped, and the name changed, to make ActiveX
controls lean enough to be downloaded as part of a web page.
Because ActiveX components can support the OLE embedding
interfaces, they can be included in web pages. Because they
are COM objects, they can be used from languages such as
Visual Basic, Visual C++, Java, VBScript.
["Understanding ActiveX and OLE", David Chappell, MS Press,
1996].
Home.
(2002-04-19)
Nearby terms:
active object « Active Reconfiguring Message « Active Server Pages « ActiveX » ActiveX Data Objects » ACT ONE » Actor
