Type libraries are files that include information about data types, interfaces, member functions, and object classes exposed by a COM object. They provide a way to identify what types of objects and interfaces are available on a server. For a detailed overview on why and when to use type libraries, see Type libraries.
A type library can contain any and all of the following:
With traditional development tools, you create type libraries by writing scripts in the Interface Definition Language (IDL) or the Object Description Language (ODL), then run that script through a compiler. The Type Library editor automates some of this process, easing the burden of creating and modifying your own type libraries.
When you create a COM server of any type (Automation object, remote data module, and so on) using Delphi's wizards, the wizard automatically generates a type library for you (although in the case of the COM object wizard, this is optional). Most of the work you do in customizing the generated object starts with the type library, because that is where you define the properties and methods it exposes to clients: you change the interface of the CoClass generated by the wizard, using the Type Library Editor. The Type Library editor automatically updates the implementation unit for your object, so that all you need do is fill in the bodies of the generated methods.
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