There are two ways to add ActiveX controls to your ACUCOBOL-GT program:
1. Using the AcuBench Screen Designer. This method is the easiest, although it limits you to only graphical controls. It involves adding the control to the Component Toolbox, drawing it onto the Screen Designer screen form, modifying properties if desired, then generating code. This method is described in detail in the AcuBench User's Guide.
2. Using a new utility program called "AXDEFGEN." This method requires some manual program modification, but it provides the flexibility of adding any type of control or OLE object to your program, even non-graphical controls like a spell checker or automation server (like Microsoft Word, Excel, or Internet Explorer). This method involves running the AXDEFGEN program, adding new copybooks to the project, modifying a few sections of code, and compiling. This method is discussed in detail below.
ACUCOBOL-GT defines a control type named "ACTIVE-X" that it uses internally whenever you create, modify, inquire or destroy an ActiveX control.
In the vast majority of cases, you will not use the ACTIVE-X control type directly. Instead, you will specify the name of the specific ActiveX control type. This name can be determined by looking at the "***Primary Interface***" section in the copybook generated by AXDEFGEN.