What is Active-X

Active-X is a set of technologies from Microsoft that provides a framework for software components to enable interactive content to operate on the Internet and add functionality to software applications. These software components are also known as Active-X controls and allow websites, programs, applications and Microsoft Windows itself to perform any number of functions despite the programming language that was used to build them.

It was first unveiled in 1996 by Microsoft and is a core component of the Windows Operating System, but the technology is not directly tied to the OS. The technology which eventually became Active-X began as object linking and embedding (OLE). Simple functions like cut and paste between applications was made possible in earlier versions of Windows by OLE. Eventually OLE evolved into compound object module (COM) which is an advanced form of OLE. It is basically an individual module that any Windows application can access.

An example of a COM is the ability to insert and edit a Word document in Microsoft Excel without having to open the Word application to complete the task. Modules that run within larger applications like a spell checker in word are essentially Active-X controls also know as COMs. Since its introduction many Microsoft Applications have used Active-X controls to build their functionality. Windows Media Player, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Visual Studio and Internet Explorer all have features within their programming built by Active-X controls.

Active-X controls' real potential however is in it's ability to allow developer to create applications that work on the Internet itself through distribution by web browsers like Internet Explorer. With Active-X it is easy for developers to create interactive and innovative applications for the Internet because it is supported by a very large number of tools and different languages. This means that programmers do not have to start coding from scratch because there already are thousands of reusable Active-X controls available today.

Because of this web developers and programmers can quickly, efficiently and easily create interactive, unique websites enabling a more productive and pleasant user experience. Active-X includes both the server and client technologies needed to bring an application to full operation. An example of this is Active-X documents which is a core Active-X control technology that many applications use to enable non HTML documents like Microsoft Word files to be viewed on the Internet through a website. Today Active-X controls are used in a variety of applications and provide a wide range of online features.

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