Retrieving Objects

Automation provides several functions to identify and retrieve the active instance of an object or application, so you can make the object available to others.

• RegisterActiveObject — Sets the active object for an application. (Use when the application starts.)
• RevokeActiveObject — Revokes the active object. (Use when the application ends.)
• GetActiveObject — Retrieves a pointer to the active object. (In Visual Basic, this pointer is implemented by the GetObject function.)

Applications can have more than one active object at a time. To be initialized as active, an object must:

• Have a class factory (that is, the object provides an interface for creating instances of itself).
• Identify its class factory by a ProgID in the system registry.
• Be registered by a call to RegisterActiveObject when the object is created, or when it becomes active.

The Application object must be registered as an active object.