COM and Automation Library Routines (W*S)

The following tables list COM and Automation libary routines.

Programs that use COM routines must access the appropriate libraries with USE IFCOM. Programs that use automation routines must access the appropriate libraries with USE IFAUTO. Some procedures also require the USE IFWINTY module.

The COM and Automation routines are restricted to Windows* systems.

Routine names are shown in mixed case to make the names easier to understand. When writing your applications, you can use any case.

Component Object Model (COM) Procedures (USE IFCOM)
Name	Routine Type	Description
COMAddObjectReference	Function	Adds a reference to an object's interface.
COMCLSIDFromProgID ^¹	Subroutine	Passes a programmatic identifier and returns the corresponding class identifier.
COMCLSIDFromString ^¹	Subroutine	Passes a class identifier string and returns the corresponding class identifier.
COMCreateObject ^¹	Subroutine	A generic routine that executes either COMCreateObjectByProgID or COMCreateObjectByGUID.
COMCreateObjectByGUID ^¹	Subroutine	Passes a class identifier, creates an instance of an object, and returns a pointer to the object's interface.
COMCreateObjectByProgID	Subroutine	Passes a programmatic identifier, creates an instance of an object, and returns a pointer to the object's IDispatch interface.
COMGetActiveObjectByGUID ^¹	Subroutine	Passes a class identifier and returns a pointer to the interface of a currently active object.
COMGetActiveObjectByProgID	Subroutine	Passes a programmatic identifier and returns a pointer to the IDispatch interface of a currently active object.
COMGetFileObject	Subroutine	Passes a file name and returns a pointer to the IDispatch interface of an Automation object that can manipulate the file.
COMInitialize	Subroutine	Initializes the COM library.
COMIsEqualGUID ^¹	Function	Determines whether two GUIDs are the same.
COMQueryInterface ^¹	Subroutine	Passes an interface identifier and returns a pointer to an object's interface.
COMReleaseObject	Function	Indicates that the program is done with a reference to an object's interface.
COMStringFromGUID ^¹	Subroutine	Passes a GUID and returns a string of printable characters.
COMUninitialize	Subroutine	Uninitializes the COM library.

Automation Server Procedures (USE IFAUTO)
Name	Routine Type	Description
AUTOAddArg ^¹	Subroutine	Passes an argument name and value and adds the argument to the argument list data structure.
AUTOAllocateInvokeArgs	Function	Allocates an argument list data structure that holds the arguments to be passed to AUTOInvoke.
AUTODeallocateInvokeArgs	Subroutine	Deallocates an argument list data structure.
AUTOGetExceptInfo	Subroutine	Retrieves the exception information when a method has returned an exception status.
AUTOGetProperty ^¹	Function	Passes the name or identifier of the property and gets the value of the Automation object's property.
AUTOGetPropertyByID	Function	Passes the member ID of the property and gets the value of the Automation object's property into the argument list's first argument.
AUTOGetPropertyInvokeArgs	Function	Passes an argument list data structure and gets the value of the Automation object's property specified in the argument list's first argument.
AUTOInvoke	Function	Passes the name or identifier of an object's method and an argument list data structure and invokes the method with the passed arguments.
AUTOSetProperty ^¹	Function	Passes the name or identifier of the property and a value, and sets the value of the Automation object's property.
AUTOSetPropertyByID	Function	Passes the member ID of the property and sets the value of the Automation object's property, using the argument list's first argument.
AUTOSetPropertyInvokeArgs	Function	Passes an argument list data structure and sets the value of the Automation object's property specified in the argument list's first argument.

¹These routines also require USE IFWINTY.