# COM

CreateObject allows you to create and use COM (Component Object Model) objects. Any automation server object type that is currently registered on a machine can be invoked. You can use a utility like Microsoft's OLEView to browse COM objects. OLEView, as well as information about COM and DCOM, can be found at Microsoft's OLE Development web site `http://www.microsoft.com/oledev/`.

To create COM objects, you need to know the program ID or filename of the object, the methods and properties available through the IDispatch interface, and the arguments and return types of the object's methods. The OLEView utility can give you this information for most COM objects.

### Syntax

    CreateObject("COM", class, context, , serverName)

#### class

Required. Enter the component ProgID for the object you want to invoke.

#### context

Optional. "InProc", "Local", or "Remote". Uses Registry setting when not specified.

#### serverName

Required when CONTEXT="Remote". Enter a valid server name using UNC (Universal Naming Convention) or DNS (Domain Name Server) conventions, in one of the following forms:

    SERVER="\\lanserver"
    SERVER="lanserver"
    SERVER="http://www.servername.com"
    SERVER="www.servername.com"
    SERVER="127.0.0.1"