.NET and COM Interoperability Handbook, The

What is a Software Component?

Before I talk about .NET as an enabling technology for creating and using software components, it makes sense to define what a software component is. A software component is a binary, self-contained, reusable, and language-neutral piece of software that is used as a building block for applications. It's important to understand the distinction between an application and a software component. You can use Microsoft Word as an application to write letters or even a book (in fact, I am doing that right now), but Microsoft Word is also a software component. It has an API—that is exposed through COM—and, through this API, you can use Microsoft Word as a report writer. When you are writing a letter or a book with Word, you ...