The Role of the Module Wizard

To use COM and Automation objects from a Fortran program:

1. Find or install the object server on the system. COM and Automation objects can be registered:
   • By other programs you install.
   • By creating the object server yourself, for example, by using the Visual Fortran COM Server wizard, Visual C++, or Visual Basic.

   For example, the Microsoft visual development environment registers certain objects during installation (see the documentation on the Developer Studio object model).

   Creating an object server involves deciding what type of object and what type of interfaces or methods should be available. The object's server must be designed, coded, and tested like any other application. For information about object server creation, see Creating a COM Server.

2. Determine:
   • Whether the object has a COM interface, Automation interface, or both.
   • Where the object's type information is located.

   You should be able to obtain this information from the object's documentation. You can use the OLE-COM Object Viewer tool (provided in the Compaq Visual Fortran program folder) to determine the characteristics of an object on your system.

3. Use the Visual Fortran module wizard to generate code.

   The Visual Fortran module wizard is a application that interactively asks certain questions about the object, including its name, type, and other information. The information collected by the module wizard is used in the generated code. To learn about using the Visual Fortran module wizard, see Using the Module Wizard to Generate Code.

4. Write a Fortran 90 program to invoke the code generated by the Visual Fortran module wizard.

   To understand more about calling the interfaces and jacket routines created by the module wizard, see Calling Routines Generated by the Module Wizard.