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What is ActiveX?
In todays fast pace, multimedia world of computing and the internet every day brings with it new advances designed to improve the computing experience. Contemporary computers today are capable of processes which would have been absurd assumptions a few years ago. The growing need for performing fast, efficient, multimedia rich tasks on computers has spawned a host of tools that facilitate interaction between various software applications. Among these are a host of technologies collectively called ActiveX. ActiveX allows optimal merger of different applications to the point that resources of one program are available to the other. This opens a whole new world of computing freedom where users can perform multiple, previously distinct tasks through a single program. ActiveX components also help computer users experience media rich interactive content through the internet literally bringing the World Wide Web to their fingertips.
ActiveX is the name given to a set of technologies, developed by software giant Microsoft, that serve the purpose of information sharing and interaction between various software applications. ActiveX is the evolutionary product of two previous Microsoft technologies namely, COM (Component Object Model) and OLE (Object Linking and Embedding). COM technologies are used by software developers to interconnect components to build applications and thereby utilize Windows services. OLE is used primarily by developers to maintain active links between two documents or for embedding one type of document within another. In 1996 version 2.0 of OLE evolved into ActiveX in its current form. ActiveX controls are specific set of rules for implementation of ActiveX components. ActiveX controls can be created using languages or development tools, including C++ and Visual Basic, or PowerBuilder, or with scripting tools such as VBScript. ActiveX controls can be downloaded off the internet and executed by a web browser and have full access to the windows operating system. In grossly simplistic terms, ActiveX from Microsoft is roughly equivalent to Java technology from Sun Microsystems and an ActiveX control is somewhat similar to a Java applet. Currently, ActiveX controls are compatible with Windows 95/98/NT/2000 and Macintosh.
Over the years ActiveX based technologies have gained immense importance not only for developers, but also for millions of computer users across the world. ActiveX components have vastly diversified computing performance by enabling computers as well as applications within these computers to interact with each other more rapidly and more efficiently.
In the field of web development ActiveX controls allow an unimaginable amount of interactive, user controllable multimedia content to be embedded into web pages allowing developers in order to enhance the web surfing experience.
ActiveX technology support for documents enables computer users to view non-HTML documents, such as Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Word files, through a Web browser. Moreover, ActiveX allows integration of video, audio and flash animations into websites and their viewing through media players embedded into web browsers.
ActiveX allows Microsoft Word documents to dynamically link to data in Excel spreadsheets, or photographs. It also allows users to build scripts in their applications to perform repetitive tasks or control one application from another.
ActiveX based technologies are heavily used for managing compound documents. ActiveX is also used for transferring data between different applications using drag and drop and clip board operations.
These examples are but the tip of an iceberg that spans across the internet. There are numerous other commonplace applications requiring ActiveX support for optimal functioning. It isn’t difficult to imagine how ActiveX based technologies have transformed the business of computing over the past decade. Countless processes taken for granted by computer users across the globe rely heavily on ActiveX. It has had a major role in the onslaught of innovation, creativity and interactivity witnessed in the web over the past several years. ActiveX based solutions allow developers to make the internet more interactive, useful and productive and provides enhanced computing efficiency and performance to the end user to fully benefit from these enhancements.
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