Technical information

Reviewer’s Guide Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.51 10
In addition, through OLE 2.0 Automation, applications can easily expose their services to other applications through
a single OLE 2.0 interface, requiring far less effort to retrofit object-based services into existing applications. OLE
2.0 Automation is a breakthrough in application interoperability that allows corporations to assemble complete
business solutions quickly by using packaged, component software as building blocks. Future releases of the
Microsoft Windows operating system will include OLE 2.0 with distributed capabilities, which will allow existing
OLE 2.0-enabled applications running on separate machines to interoperate across a network seamlessly.
With Windows NT Workstation, vendors are working on hundreds of 16-bit applications that support OLE 2.0 and
are already either shipping or are about to be released. OLE 2.0 won the 1993 PC Magazine Technical Excellence
Award, as well as awards from BYTE Magazine and PC Computing. Microsoft is also continuing to work with
industry partners to make sure that object technology advances within the Windows operating system are available
on, and can interoperate with, other platforms.
Windows NT Workstation fully supports OLE 2.0 functionality between two or more 32-bit applications. For
example, the 32-bit versions of Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel fully support this functionality.
Windows NT Workstation supports 16-bit applications that have already implemented OLE 2.0 technology in a
single VDM. It also supports a mixed implementation of OLE 2.0 between a 16-bit and a 32-bit application, and
supports OLE 2.0 between 16-bit applications that run in separate VDMs.
OpenGL 3-D Graphics
Windows NT Workstation includes high-performance 3-D graphics capabilities with the OpenGL™
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API as a native
part of the operating system. OpenGL is an operating system independent, industry standard, library of graphics
functions originally developed by Silicon Graphics on their workstation systems. OpenGL is now defined by an
Architecture Review Board consisting of Digital Equipment Corporation, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, and Silicon
Graphics. Microsoft has licensed this technology from Silicon Graphics in order to provide these powerful 32-bit
APIs for users of Windows NT Workstation.
These advanced graphics capabilities are needed when
visualization of large designs and data is important. Typical
situations where 3-D graphics might be required include
CAD/CAM applications; industrial, interior and mechanical
design applications; and statistical and scientific analysis
products. OpenGL technology has also been used to provide
some of the special effects used by movie producers in
recent films such as Jurassic Park and Terminator 2.
Some vendors who have been developing their applications
to take advantage of the OpenGL implementation for
Windows NT Workstation include Intergraph with their
MicroStation product, and Parametric Technology with the
PRO/Engineer product.
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OpenGL is a trademark of Silicon Graphics Incorporated. For more information on the OpenGL API, please read:
3D Computer Graphics by Glassner; Design Press Publishers
OpenGL Programming Guide by Davis, Neider, Woo, OpenGL ARB; Addison-Wesley, ISBN 0-201-63274-8
OpenGL Reference Manual by OpenGL ARB; Addison-Wesley publishers, ISBN 0-201-63276-4
OpenGL Architecture
Windows NT Workstation
User-Mode
Kernel-Mode
OpenGL
Applications
opengl32.dll gdi32.dlluser32.dll
Device
Drivers
winsrv.dll