PlugIn Services and Microsoft's COM

The PlugIn Services model is compatible with the basics of Microsoft's COM (Component Object Model) architecture. This means that PlugIn Services interfaces are laid out according to the COM guidelines and that all interfaces must inherit from COM's IUnknown interface. These are the only elements PlugIn Services shares with COM. Other COM concepts such as the IClassFactory interface, aggregation, out-of-process servers, and Windows registry are not mapped. This document only minimally covers COM concepts as necessary to explain the way they are used in PlugIn Services. For additional information, you are encouraged to seek out the wealth of documentation already published about COM. A good place to start is the COM area of Microsoft's web site, http://www.microsoft.com/com/tech/com.asp .


© 1999 Apple Computer, Inc. (Last Updated 10 December 99)