Introduction to the Component Object Model (COM)

The Component Object Model (COM) is a specification that describes how to write components. The main characteristics of COM are the following:

  • Language neutral. Components may be written in any language and be used by client applications written in any language.

  • Dynamic linking. A component can be updated without the need to recompile a client application that is using the component.

  • Encapsulation. A client application has no knowledge of how a component is implemented, the internal data structures it uses, and where it is implemented or the language in which it is implemented. Any implementation issues can change without a client application recognizing the changes.

While COM is mainly a specification ...

Get Windows® CE 3.0 Application Programming now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.