Component Manager

Overview

This chapter describes how you can use the Component Manager to allow your application to find and utilize various software objects (components) at run time. It also discusses how you can create your own components and how you can use the Component Manager to help manage your components. You should read this chapter if you are developing an application that uses components or if you plan to develop your own components.

Several of the sections in this chapter are divided into two main topics: one describes how applications can use components, and one describes how to create your own components. If you are developing an application that uses components, you should focus on the material that describes how to use existing components--you do not need to read the material that describes how to create a component. If you are developing a component, however, you should be familiar with all the information in this chapter.

For information on a specific component, see the documentation supplied with that component. For example, for information on the components that Apple supplies with QuickTime, see Inside Macintosh: QuickTime Components .