Components
QuickTime provides components so that every application doesn't need to know about all possible types of audio, visual, and storage devices. A component is a code resource that is registered by the Component Manager. The component's code can be available as a systemwide resource or in a resource that is local to a particular application. Each QuickTime component supports a defined set of features and presents a specified functional interface to its client applications. Applications are thereby isolated from the details of implementing and managing a given technology. For example, you could create a component that supports a certain data encryption algorithm. Applications could then use your algorithm by connecting to your component through the Component Manager, rather than by implementing the algorithm over again. For comprehensive reference to the QuickTime components supplied by Apple, see the book Inside Macintosh: QuickTime Components.