Components are written in any language, reusable in other environments, and are a familiar programming model. They provide database access and enhance browser capabilities and link navigation.

ASP obtains components using properties and methods. Properties are data objects that control the state of the object. Methods are functions that operate on the resources.

You can write your component in any language that generates Automation server components. Choosing a language involves many considerations, including familiarity with the language, tools support, run-time performance, threading models, code complexity, and the size of the compiled code. Languages and products that can be used to write Automation server components include Microsoft Visual C++, Microsoft Visual Basic, and Java.

Components follow the COM standard

Components created for ASP follow the Component Object Model (COM). These objects are launched in memory, and provide methods and properties that are in turn called from the ASP pages.

These components are primarily ActiveX components that do not implement a user interface. While developing components for ASP, you must use the interfaces provided by ASP to create the components in accordance with COM.

Accessed only by the Server

ActiveX server components are installed and run on the Web Server. The browser that is used to access these components is entirely independent of the browser's manufacturer or version.

Extend ActiveX Server Components

The ActiveX Server is extensible. Because of this, developers can create ActiveX server components used by a variety of Internet intranet scenarios.