OLE Automation Options

You get this window when you choose Tools->Options from the menu bar and click the OLE Automation tab.

This window is where you can set the default interface type to the style you plan to use most often, along with some other associated options.

Fields

The following table explains the fields on this window.

Table 7-3 OLE Automation Options

Topic Section	Field	Description
	Default OLE Interface Type	Provides the registration mechanism-either Automation Server or ActiveX Control. (In the figure, ActiveX Control is chosen.) Selecting Automation Server causes any interface object imported from the repository to be registered as a straight automation object, while selecting ActiveX Control causes new interface objects to be registered as ActiveX custom controls. You can subsequently change any registration by using the properties menu on each interface object (View->Properties or Properties on the popup menu; right mouse click to get popup menu).
Type Libraries	Generate on Module Add	Determines whether or not a type library is generated automatically when a module is added from the Repository Window to the Workstation Objects window. ActiveX controls do not work properly in tools such as Visual Basic and PowerBuilder unless a type library has been generated, so clicking the ActiveX Control radio button automatically sets the Generate on Module Add check box. (In the figure, this is on.)
	MIDL Version	Microsoft OSF-DCE interface definition language (IDL). Type libraries are built using the MIDL compiler. Visual Basic 4.0 is compatible with type libraries built with MIDL version 2.0. Visual Basic 5.0 is compatible with type libraries built with MIDL version 3.0.
Type Libraries Generation	Type Library	Controls whether a type library is generated. (In the figure, this is on.)
	ODL	Controls whether object definition language (ODL) source is generated. (In the figure, this is off.)
Type Libraries Housekeeping	Location	Indicates the default location to which type libraries are saved. Type libraries created at object registration time as well as type libraries generated later with the Tools->Generate Type Library option are saved in the directory specified on this window. If this directory does not exist, the Application Builder prompts you when you try to generate a type library (or register an object with automatic type library generation) and gives you the option of generating the type library into the current directory.
	Confirm on overwrite	Enables or disables a confirmation prompt when a given type library or registration file already exists. Registration files are generated with the same name as the type library file, but with the extension .reg. (In the figure, this is on.)

Description

All interface objects are registered according to the Default OLE Interface Type value (OLE Automation Server or ActiveX Control) selected in the OLE Automation options page. Also, you can indicate whether you want a type library generated at registration time, and customize how type libraries are generated.

Interfaces that are registered as OLE automation server objects are created using the Visual Basic CreateObject statement, or similar statements in the other client tools. Interfaces that are registered as ActiveX Control objects are registered as OLE custom controls, which are created by dragging the control onto the client form. ActiveX controls are particularly useful for asynchronous calling mode

Once you have registered a module on your workstation, you can modify individual interface types to something other than the default (OLE automation server or ActiveX control) by using the properties menu on each interface object (View->Properties or Properties on the popup menu; right mouse click to get popup menu).

Buttons

When you have set these options as needed, click OK to save your changes and close the window. (Or click Cancel to close the window without saving your changes.)

See Also

Setting OLE Automation Options