In computer programming, a Visual Basic Extension (commonly abbreviated VBX) or custom control, was the component model used in Microsoft Visual Basic versions 1.0 to 3.0. It is still supported in the 16-bit version of version 4.0, but was obsoleted by OCXs. VBX has also been supported in some versions of Borland Delphi. Computer programming (often shortened to programming or coding) is the process of writing, testing, and maintaining the source code of computer programs. ... Software component representations: above the representation used in UML, below the representation commonly used by Microsofts COM objects. ... Microsoft Corporation, (NASDAQ: MSFT, HKSE: 4338) is a multinational computer technology corporation with global annual revenue of US$44. ... Visual Basic (VB) is an event driven programming language and associated development environment from Microsoft for its COM programming model. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

The VBX specification was created so that developers could extend Visual Basic. According to rumor, Bill Gates reviewed the first version of Visual Basic before release and told the development team that it must have an extensibility mechanism. Since at the time Visual Basic was an interpreted language with limited power compared to C, VBXs which were most often written in C or C++ provided the ability to create very powerful and efficient software which could easily be hooked up to form based user interfaces. (need cite for when VB offered compilation - v.4 or v5?) Visual Basic (VB) is an event driven programming language and associated development environment from Microsoft for its COM programming model. ... For other persons named Bill Gates, see Bill Gates (disambiguation). ... In computer programming, an interpreted language is a programming language whose programs may be executed from source form, by an interpreter. ...

Visual Basic 4.0 added support for the newer OLE Controls or OCXs (which became ActiveX controls), implicitly deprecating VBX controls. OCXs are based on the Component Object Model. Component Object Model (COM) is a platform for software componentry introduced by Microsoft in 1993. ...

Each version of Visual Basic has come with many controls. By incorporating VBX controls into Visual Basic, Microsoft spawned the first commercially viable market for reusable software components. Third parties have created a large market of custom controls for resale. Software component representations: above the representation used in UML, below the representation commonly used by Microsofts COM objects. ... In computer programming, and particularly in Microsoft Windows programming, third party software component refers to a reusable software component developed to be either freely distributed or sold by an entity other than the original vendor of the development platform. ...

VBX components were called "custom controls" because the Microsoft development team envisioned them as visual "control" components like a toggle switch or button. Enterprising third party software component developers saw opportunities to use the VBX specification for non-visual components, such as components for creating ZIP files, messing with low-level system settings and communicating with TCP/IP, which was the only option at that time, but since Visual Basic 3.0, it is better to use COM objects instead. In computer programming, and particularly in Microsoft Windows programming, third party software component refers to a reusable software component developed to be either freely distributed or sold by an entity other than the original vendor of the development platform. ... The ZIP file format is a popular data compression and archival format. ... The Internet protocol suite is the set of communications protocols that implement the protocol stack on which the Internet runs. ...