ActiveX exe vs. dll 2

[KornGeek]

I'm very new to creating ActiveX components. I'm also not very experienced with web-based or multi-threaded applications, so please forgive my ignorance.

I'm working on creating a utility for one of my customers to integrate with their HTML web pages. This utility will provide them with some functions for interacting with a device connected to a serial port on their customer's computer. They will call my functions, I will interact with the device, and then I will send them a return value based on the result.

After doing some research, I believe using an ActiveX code component will help us accomplish this with a minimum of grief. What I'm not sure about is whether an ActiveX EXE or and ActiveX DLL would be better suited to this application. I've read about the difference between the two, but I'm still unclear about which would be better in this situation.

I appreciate any advice and/or guidance you might offer me. Thank you.

 

[VBrit]

You need to create an activeX control that is distributed from your server. You need to make sure that their browser is Internet Explorer and that they allow downloads of ActiveX Controls.

Look this up, there will be loads on it!

 

[KornGeek]

VBrit,
Thank you for your response. We can limit them to IE and allowing downloads of ActiveX controls. We (my customer and my company) have a lot of control over the end-user setup.

So, a control is a better choice?

According to Microsoft's website (I don't have the link right now, just a printout):

If you need an invisible component that provides a service, you'll want to build a code component - either an ActiveX Exe or and ActiveX DLL.

If you need a visible component that can be dropped into an application at design time, you'll want to build an ActiveX control.

Because this won't be visible, I thought that it would be better to use an EXE or DLL. I'm not doubting you, I'm just looking for clarification.

Thank you.

 

[NoCoolHandle]

Just a couple of thoughts..

downloading an ocx control and having it install from a browser is very,very easy (once you allow them to install in the secruity settings of IE)

Doing the same for an exe or dll isn't the case. More likley than not you will need to build a setup program or do some scripting to install it.

Just because an ocx control can have a visible interface doesn't meen it needs to.

If it needs to runinside the browser you probably need an ocx (just to make it easy, but it will have a little more overhad than a dll), but close the browser and you close your app.

dll's need a host app, exe's don't.


Bottom line.. For what you are looking at, use an ocx (active x control).. You get great flexablitiy to what you can do - it might add a little overhead above a .dll, but these things worked on pentium 1's, on todays pc's, you will never notice it.

It is easy to develop them in VB. Use the addins/wizard to build properties and methods.. it will save you hours of codeing! - building propertie bags etc - stuff you have to understand if you are doing it yourself.

If you want it to be able to display data, cool. If you just want it to return a value based on a call to a function (method) of your control to a bit of html.. that works great also.

For what it is worth..


Rob

 

[KornGeek]

Cool.

Thank you both VBrit and NoCoolHandle. That appears to be exactly what I want to do. Stars for both of you.

 

[VBrit]

Cheers for the stars!!