COM Components

You can catalog COM components and use them in your BPM project. COM components are software programs that use the Microsoft Component Object Model (COM).

COM objects can be created in several different ways and with different tools, such as Visual Basic or C++). Several applications expose functionality as COM objects - this includes most of Microsoft's applications (Office, Internet Explorer, etc.) and many third-party applications.

Integrating COM Applications

If you want to call an external application that exposes itself using COM, you need access to the COM documentation provided with that application. For example, if you wish to call Microsoft Excel components, you will need to understand Excel's object model, which is documented in the Microsoft Developer Network Website.

Cataloging COM Components
Before using COM components from processes or BPM Objects, you must include them into the project catalog. When you catalog a component, you are gathering all the necessary information that Studio needs in order to call and execute it at runtime.
COM example with MS Word
COM example with MS Excel
About the COM Bridge
Oracle BPM COM Bridge allows you to catalog and use COM components in Oracle BPM processes.
Installing COM Bridge as a Service
You can install Oracle BPM COM bridge as a Windows Service, so that it automatically starts when Windows boots.
COM Bridge options
The COM Bridge application and service provide different command-line options for installing, starting and stopping the bridge.

Parent topic: External Components