FAQ 34.03 What are ActiveX and OLE?

In the beginning, OLE stood for Object Linking and Embedding. OLE2 was an umbrella term that covered a family of Microsoft technologies for building software components and linking applications:

• Component Object Model (COM), Structured Storage

• Uniform Data Transfer, Drag and Drop

• Error Reporting and Exception Handling

• OLE Automation

• OLE Compound Documents

• OLE Custom Controls (OCXs)

At the time OLE was popular, the future of the desktop computer was GUIs and compound documents. You might even remember that OLE and OpenDoc (from IBM and Apple) were jousting to see who would rule the compound document kingdom.

Well, since that time, the Internet and the World Wide Web have replaced compound documents as the future of desktop computing, and ActiveX (which is web- centric) has replaced OLE (which is compound-document-centric) as the marketing buzzword du jour. OLE still exists, but these days its meaning is restricted to compound document technology.

ActiveX is a loosely defined umbrella term Microsoft uses to refer to a number of initiatives and technologies related to (but not limited to) the Web/Internet and Microsoft's component strategy. The important thing to remember is that ActiveX is a marketing term whose meaning can (and does) shift as it suits the suits in Redmond.

The aspects of ActiveX discussed in this book are those that are related to Microsoft's component strategy. This chapter does not try to explain and justify the numerous ambiguities surrounding ActiveX call your local Microsoft representatives and ask them for an explanation.