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1.3.4 The OpenDoc Technology

   OpenDoc technology is a vendor-neutral architecture for software 
   integration that enables the development of distributed, cross-platform 
   component software.  It will initially be available on  OS/2 Warp Version 
   3 with UNIX implementations to follow.  No matter which platform you use, 
   it is important to note that OpenDoc technology is designed for easy 
   installation and implementation.  OpenDoc technology protects customers' 
   and developers' investments in software and training. 


   the entire organization through the use of software components on notebook 
   systems, desktop computers, servers, and mainframes.  It enables the 
   construction of compound, collaborative and customizable documents, which 
   are interoperable across platforms, as well as with proprietary APIs for 
   desktop application integration such as Microsoft OLE 2.0. 

   The following are brief descriptions of the key OpenDoc supporting 
   technologies: 



   OpenDoc Compound Document Services manage display and user-interface 
             aspects to ensure a unified document model that supports 
             multiple data types. 

   OpenDoc Component Services support the integration of multiple software 
             component parts into seamless documents and custom applications. 


   OpenDoc Storage Services allow OpenDoc technology to store and exchange 
             compound documents and multimedia. 

   OpenDoc Object Management Services are based on System Object Model (SOM), 
             a highly efficient, CORBA-compliant, dynamic linking mechanism 
             for objects, which supports multiple languages and provides a 
             gateway to distributed object services. 

   OpenDoc Automation Services include the Open Scripting Architecture (OSA) 
             standard.  OSA consists of an automation and scripting API that 
             supports application-independent scripting, providing full 
             functionality with compliant scripting languages. 

   OpenDoc Interoperability Services provide interoperability with other 
             component software architectures.  It includes ComponentGlue 
             Technology that enables bidirectional interoperability with 
             Microsoft OLE 2.0, Microsoft's proprietary API for desktop 
             application integration. 


   These six services layers combine to create a wealth of new opportunities 
   for software development and deployment.  The OpenDoc component software 
   architecture is a comprehensive and cohesive set of services that utilizes 
   technologies such as SOM, OSA, and Bento. 

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