If you have Visual Basic 6 or Visual Studio 6, you should have the
MSComm control (MSComm32.OCX) installed in your PC. The MSComm ActiveX
control is a licensed control so you need to have a valid license for
it installed in order to develop applications with it. This means that
you will need either VB6 or Visual Studio installed on the workstation
where you use the MSComm control.
You might try Richard Grier's web site for a free serial
communications ActiveX control called NETComm.ocx that does not have
the need for a license. His web site is at:
http://www.hardandsoftware.net/
I believe that he wrapped the MSComm32.OCX ActiveX control into an
ActiveX control that he created using VB6 to get around the license
issue. Morally, I would consider this to be in violation of the
license for the MSComm32.OCX control because his ActiveX control is
functionally equivalent to the MSComm control and it uses the MSComm
control to perform all serial I/O. The only reason for compiling it
into his own ActiveX control appears to be to get something that will
work without having to purchase a license from Microsoft. To me this
sounds a lot like copyright violation. Richard Grier also publishes a
book called the VB Programmers Guide to Serial Communications. I
wonder if he would mind if Microsoft gave away free photocopies of his
book (perhaps with a slightly different cover).
