2. Research Presentation for CS616 By Hai Huang April, 2001 ActiveX and The Web Architectural & Technical Overview

3.  What is ActiveX?  Elements of ActiveX COM/DCOM, Controls, Java Applets, Documents, Scripting  ActiveX and Internet Explorer Building the browser from reusable components Outline

4. ActiveX 1.ActiveX is a marketing name for a set of technologies and services, all based on the Component Object Model (COM). 2.ActiveX is a technology built on the COM that allows the developer to create objects or controls that can be used to "activate" content on the World Wide Web. 3.ActiveX enable software components to interact with one another, regardless of the language in which the components were created. 4.Many popular Web sites contain ActiveX controls to provide user interface objects such as list boxes and buttons.

5. Java Applet JavaScript™ VBScript ActiveX Control HTML Document Non-HTML Document ActiveX Bridges the “Islands” Makes it easy to integrate and reuse any component

6. Software Developers - want to easily create, reuse and integrate software components Web Producers - want to build rich, engaging Web sites quickly and easily End Users - want an intriguing, exciting experience Developers Web WebProducers End Users Motivation For ActiveX Bring Component-based Development to the Internet

7. Component-based Web Development Editing and Layout Tools  Content creation  Visual content layout  Integrated scripting  One button publishing  Content management ActiveX Controls  Pre-fabricated components  Packaged by programmers  Components for animation, video, sound, 3D, etc.  Include visual and design-time behavior High Impact Content  Entertainment  Commerce  Information gathering

8. HTML content (text and images) HTTP server HTTP ActiveX Control or Java applet download ActiveX Control or Java applet COM objects or ActiveX Controls (D)COM ActiveX Script User Experience: How It Works

9. Component Object Model (COM) Standard component packaging Windows®UNIX®Macintosh® Distributed COM Internet/distributed computing Components and Services URLs, hyperlinking, browser frame, HTML, Java VM, etc. Controls and Applets C++, Delphi®, Java, Visual Basic®, etc. Scripting Visual Basic, Scripting Edition, JScript, Tck/Tk, etc. Web Pages, Documents, and Applications/Containers Elements Of ActiveX

10. COM COM is Microsoft's framework for developing and supporting program component objects. COM is aimed at providing similar capabilities to those defined in CORBA, a framework for the interoperation of distributed objects in a network that is supported by other major companies in the computer industry. Whereas Microsoft's OLE provides services for the compound document that users see on their display, COM provides the underlying services of interface negotiation, life cycle management, licensing, and event services COM includes COM+, DCOM, ActiveX interfaces and programming tools.

11. The COM Architecture A scaleable programming model  In the same process process  Fast, direct function calls  On the same machine machine  Fast, secure IPC  Across machines  Secure, reliable and flexible DCE-RPC based DCOM protocol Client Component Component Component Client Client COM COM DCE RPC COM Client Process Client Machine Server Process Server Machine

12. ServerClient COM/DCOM Lets ActiveX components run anywhere COM Remote object on any server Object running on client COM

13. Pluggable Transports COM Client COM Runtime Architecture Component COM Runtime Server MachineClient Machine TCP, UDP SPX,IPX Net BUI HTTP “Falcon” COM Runtime Proxy Other Component

14. Pluggable Security Providers COM Client COM Runtime Architecture Component COM Runtime Server MachineClient Machine DCE NT Kerberos SSL, Certs. NTLM COM Runtime Proxy Other Component

15. Controls are components that can be manipulated visually by GUI development tools Distinction between design-time and run-time user interface Code that makes the Web come alive Programmable by other components and scripts What Are ActiveX Controls?

16. ActiveX control ActiveX control can be created in any programming language that recognizes Microsoft's Component Object Model (COM). ActiveX control is a component or self-contained program package that can be created and reused by many applications in the same computer or in a distributed network (DCOM). In implementation, an it is a Dynamic Link Library (DLL) module. ActiveX control runs in a container, an application program that uses the COM program interfaces. This re-useable component approach to application development reduces development time and improves program capability and quality. Windows 95,98/NT application development programs such as Powerbuilder and Microsoft Access take advantage of ActiveX controls An ActiveX control is a user interface element created using ActiveX technology. ActiveX controls are small, fast, and powerful, and make it easy to integrate and reuse software components.

17. ActiveX Control Pad Microsoft® Internet Explorer 3.x and ActiveX™ technologies provide a smart, compelling Web development platform: Microsoft ActiveX Control Pad. The ActiveX Control Pad is an authoring tool that lets you add ActiveX controls and ActiveX scripting ( VBScript or JavaScript ) to your HTML pages with point and click ease. Using the ActiveX Control Pad, you can easily author pages that include advanced layout and multimedia features--such as exact object placement, object layering, and transparency effects.

18. What the ActiveX Control Pad Does With the ActiveX Control Pad, you can create interactive, multimedia Web sites and applications that go beyond the capabilities of standard HTML. You can create Web pages that combine HTML code, ActiveX controls, HTML Layouts, and VBScript or JavaScript. The ActiveX Control Pad uses an HTML file as the master container for each Web page you create. You can write and edit HTML directly using the HTML Source Editor. You can add a single ActiveX control, such as a TextBox or a ScrollBar, onto an HTML page using the ActiveX Control Editor. The ActiveX Control Editor lets you set properties for the control, then places an tag into HTML at the insertion point. The ActiveX Control Pad introduces the concept of the HTML Layout to Web design. An HTML Layout is a WYSIWYG drawing board to which you can add multiple controls. You can draw controls in the precise sizes and locations you want, group and align them, and even put one control on top of another. The ActiveX Control Pad saves each HTML Layout in a file format with an.alx extension. You insert the HTML Layout into HTML, which incorporates the HTML Layout at run time. You can use multiple HTML Layouts on a single Web page. Using the Script Wizard, you can assign events and actions to each of the controls you’ve added. You can also create custom scripts in VBScript or JavaScript. The Script Wizard then inserts the appropriate tag into HTML. The result for each Web page is a single HTML file that, at run time, can display all of the elements described above.

19. Mapping Controls To HTML Use the W3C tag also supported for plug-ins ID = name used by scripting language CLASSID=Globally unique identifier for the ActiveX Control CODEBASE = Control to download = Properties of the Control <OBJECT ALIGN=CENTER CLASSID="clsid:99B42120-6EC7-11CF-A6C7- 00AA00A47DD2" WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=200 ID=MyObject CODEBASE="http://foo/bar/myoc.ocx#ver=4,70,0,1062"> </OBJECT>

20. ActiveX and Java What is Java? Programming language Virtual machine/Byte codes Virtual Machine (VM) Internet Browser Java Development Tool Java Applet

21. ActiveX Complements Java ActiveX and Java DO NOT COMPETE! ActiveX IS a set of integration technologies – Every Java object IS an ActiveX object! ActiveX is NOT – A language – A platform – An operating system

22. How Does Java Fit With ActiveX? Java VM is an ActiveX component – Run Java applets in any application, not just browser Java component is an ActiveX component Automatic integration of Java applets with other languages and scripts – Lets Java applets talk to other Java applets – Lets Java applets talk to ActiveX components – Gives Java applets access to all PC functionality

23. ActiveXControl (C++, VB, etc.) ActiveXScripting (VBScript, JScript, etc.) Javaapplet ActiveX Java VM Securely invoke methods How Does Java Fit With ActiveX?

24. Microsoft’s Java Commitment Microsoft is hard core about Java the language – Reference Java VM for Windows – Fastest Just-in-Time Java Compiler – Visual J++ development tool – Java support on the server Windows is the best execution environment for Java applets – Fastest safest, most functional Microsoft will compete with Java the operating system

25. What Are ActiveX Documents? Lets users view and edit non-HTML documents through the browser ActiveX Documents Use the entire client area Provides printing support Menu merging Toolbars Integrates existing documents into browser or any other application

26. What Is ActiveX Scripting? Mechanism for rapid “wiring” together of diverse set of components Supports any scripting language - VBScript, JScript, Perl, PowerScript, Tck/Tk, etc. Scripting languages are the most broadly accessible development tools Scripting plus HTML is the fastest and easiest cross platform solution Internet Explorer 3.0 ships with VBScript, JScript runtimes

27. Scripting: A Simple Solution Pioneered by Visual Basic Objects expose events for the purpose of coordinating their activity with the rest of the world Script code can be attached to an object’s events to customize behavior - this is “scripting” ButtonObjectButtonObject ClickEventClickEvent Sub Button_Click MsgBox “Hello world” MsgBox “Hello world” End Sub Sub Button_Click MsgBox “Hello world” MsgBox “Hello world” End Sub

28. Containers Office Binder MosaicMosaic Internet Explorer Windows Shell Architecture Overview Internet Explorer HTMLHTML VRMLVRML WordWord VisioVisio MicroGrafxMicroGrafx ActiveX documents HTMLHTML VRMLVRML MPEGMPEG VRMLVRML RealAudioRealAudio HTMLHTML ActiveX controls ShockwaveShockwaveODBCODBC VRMLVRMLHTMLHTML Visual Basic Script JavaScriptJavaScript REXXREXX ActiveX scripting PERLPERL Visual Basic Script Script JavaScriptJavaScript Services URL resolution HTTP, FTP URL resolution HTTP, FTP HyperlinkingHistoryFavoritesHyperlinkingHistoryFavorites Code download and security Code download and security

29. Summary ActiveX is the first and only component technology to achieve commercial success Today’s thriving ActiveX software component industry makes it quick and easy to build great web sites Componentized architecture is not just the future; it is here today with ActiveX