Chapter 1: Component Object Model Introduction

Part I is an overview and introduction to the Component Object Model (COM). The only chapter in Part I (Chapter 1), explains at a high level the motivations of COM and the problems it addresses. It describes what COM is and its features, and describes the major benefits and advantages of COM.

You can read through this introductory chapter, or you can choose a topic of interest from this list.

  • Challenges Facing the Software Industry

  • The Solution: Component Software

  • The Component Software Solution: OLE's COM, which includes Reusable Component Objects, Binary and Wire-Level Standards for Interoperability, A True System Object Model, and Distributed Capabilities

  • Objects and Interfaces, which includes Attributes of Interfaces, Object Pictures, and Objects with Multiple Interfaces and QueryInterface

  • Clients, Servers, and Object Implementors, which includes Server Flavors: In-Process and Out-Of-Process, and Location Transparency

  • The COM Library

  • COM as a Foundation, which includes COM Infrastructure and OLE