Component Object Model
Component Object Model
The Component Object Model (COM) is a platform-independent, distributed component object system that allows software components to interoperate regardless of programming language and computer architecture. By exposing objects as components, COM makes it easy to share and reuse code across different applications and environments.
What does Component Object Model mean?
Component Object Model (COM) is a platform-independent binary-standard Interface specification for creating reusable software components. It enables software components written in different Programming languages and running on different platforms to interact seamlessly. COM defines a set of rules and guidelines for creating and using software components and allows them to communicate and exchange data across process and machine boundaries.
COM is based on the concept of COM objects, which are self-contained units of software functionality that can be instantiated and used by other components. Each COM object exposes a set of well-defined interfaces that describe its functionality, and these interfaces are used by Client components to access the object’s methods and properties.
Applications
COM is widely used in the development of Windows-based software applications. It is the underlying technology behind many Microsoft Office applications, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and is also used in other popular applications like Adobe Photoshop and Internet Explorer.
COM is also used in server-side programming, particularly for building web services and distributed applications. It allows components to be created and deployed on different machines and communicate over the network, making it a powerful tool for creating complex and scalable systems.
One of the key advantages of COM is its language independence. Unlike many other binary-standard interfaces, COM can be used with any programming language that supports COM interoperability, including C++, C#, Visual Basic, and Java. This makes it possible to mix and match components written in different languages within the same application.
History
COM was originally developed by Microsoft in the early 1990s as a replacement for the older Component Object Linked Embedding (OLE) technology. OLE was a powerful technology but was limited to use within the Windows operating system. COM was designed to be more portable and flexible, and to provide a more robust foundation for building reusable software components.
COM was first released in 1993 as part of the Windows NT 3.1 operating system. Since then, it has been continuously updated and improved with each new version of Windows. COM is now a core part of the Windows platform and is used in countless applications.