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Component Object Model (COM) is the de facto standard for handling objects in desktop PCs and is how Microsoft imply menu many of its Windows system interfaces. COM provides a complete language-independent object model, and a simple programming model that is widely used and well understood. Distributed COM (DCOM) extends this programming model to the network, bringing location-independence and remote method invocation to all COM objects.
Designing systems with software components means moving away from the monolithic application or even the object-oriented class library approach.
Using a well-established component framework allows quick and easy component development, while maintaining modularity and isolation among subsystems. This is achieved by carefully specifying the interfaces between components, often known as "design by contract." Each component can also be tested in isolation to make sure it meets design...