DAX4: What's new in Delphi 4's ActiveX framework
by Conrad Herrmann, 22 June 1998
DAX class framework changes:
- TAutoObject supports events. A bunch of code from TActiveXControl has migrated to its superclass TAutoObject.
- Threading model support in COM objects (and their descendants). Base classes are thread-safe.
- Object Safety, PropertyBagPersistence, and QuickActivation are built into ActiveX controls (and ActiveForms).
- ActiveX Controls expose their ClientSite as a property.
- ActiveX Controls (like other COM object) support threading model. The default threading model is Apartment.
- ActiveX controls works much better with IE4 (thanks to apartment threading & a few workarounds).
- ActiveX controls support IDataObject for embedding into Office apps.
- MTS support, and changes to COM objects to support this (including threading models and start-suspended support).
Wizards:
- The automation object wizard generates events.
- COM Object wizard generates a vanilla COM object.
- MTS object wizard.
TypeLib editor:
I didn't get a really in-depth look, but here are some things I noticed:
- no longer barfs on OPOS Release method.
- Generates regular IDL, Pas/IDL, or Corba IDL.
CORBA
CORBA support and COM support appear to be integrated at the server level, so it appears to be possible
to create a server that can serve both CORBA and COM clients.