Question:
Why do ActiveX or ActiveForms sometimes not display in Internet
Explorer? All that shows up is the .htm page with a blank
square with a little red X in it.
Answer:
Its likely that you selected the licensing option when you
created the ActiveForm and you are not deploying the .LIC file
with your .OCX file.
Usually licensing is not used with ActiveForms/ActiveXs that
are being used to enhance a web site because you are giving
the control away for free.
To disable the design time licensing locate the initialization
section in your ActiveForm's XXXImpl file and replace the second
to last parameter of the TActiveXControlFactory.Create call to
an empty string like so:
initialization
TActiveXControlFactory.Create(
ComServer,
TAnimateX,
TAnimate,
Class_AnimateX,
1,
'', 0);
end.
So, when should you use Design-Time Licensing?
Your control should use design-time only when you want to sell
the ActiveX or ActiveForm to other developers who will then sell
their finished applications to end-users. That is, the control
works in a design-time environment (ie, Delphi, C++Builder, VB,
etc.) when the LIC file is present, but it only works in a
run-time environment (ie, the end-user application) when the
.LIC file is not present.
If you're deploying your ActiveX over the web, then you are by
definition deploying to end-users (as opposed to developers)
and you should never require a design-time license.
Also, if the ActiveForm is unsigned, the Internet Explorer must
have its "Active content security" level set to medium. To do
this, go to the control panel and select Internet. Go to the
security tab and then press the Safety Level button. Make sure
the level it set to medium.
NOTE: This is only advised when designing your own controls.
Potentially rogue ActiveX controls could damage data on the
machine!