The PT application makes considerable use of Component Object Model (COM) architecture. The application features an ActiveX® control to implement menus in the user interface, COM components built in Microsoft® Visual Basic® version 6.0 and deployed on the business-services tier, and object models such as ActiveX Data Objects (ADO).
For discussions of COM in previous BDG scenarios, see CML Business-Services Tier and Designing the CML/LitCrit Business-Services Tier.
The following table summarizes how the design team used COM technology in the PT application.
| COM technology | Contributions to PT application | Related topics |
|---|---|---|
| ActiveX controls | Implements PT application menus. | Adding Menu Items to a Popup Object |
| ADO | Handles communication between the application's business-services and data-services tiers. | ADO in the CML Application (Scenario 1: Corporate Media Library) |
| COM | Architecture for the PT application's middle-tier components and objects. | Using COM Objects (Scenario 1: Corporate Media Library), Where is the Business Logic?, Components Designed for Reuse, and Components in NLS.dll and LitWare.dll |
| Microsoft Transaction Server | Manages object creation and destruction; provides connection pooling, component packaging, and process isolation. | MTS Contributions to the CML (Scenario 1: Corporate Media Library) |
| Active Server Pages (ASP) intrinsic objects | Handles communication between Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) and Web browser. | Active Server Pages in the CML (Scenario 1: Corporate Media Library |