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Introduction to ActiveX - Part One
Published December 21st, 2007 in Browser Security, Internet Explorer
On Tuesday, we wrote about the upcoming changes in behavior for how Internet Explorer handles embedded controls. Today we’re going to discuss the basics of ActiveX controls themselves - what they are and why they are important. We’re not going to go into how to create and code ActiveX controls, but we will briefly cover some of the important ActiveX attributes. So, let’s get started …
An ActiveX control is essentially a simple OLE object. Originally, ActiveX controls were called "OLE controls" and used a .ocx file extension. This was actually the second-generation component architecture. The first generation was the Visual Basic Controls (.vbx). OLE controls were renamed ActiveX and continue to use the .ocx extension. ActiveX controls enable a program to add functionality by calling ready-made components that blend in and appear as normal parts of the program. They are typically used to add user interface functions, such as 3D toolbars, a notepad, calculator or even a spreadsheet. Ask the Performance Team : Introduction to ActiveX - Part One
