Is ActiveX considered old/outdated by todays standards?

I have a question about ActiveX. From what I've read a开发者_运维问答nd found on the internet, ActiveX is diminishing today and is seen less and less use. My question is, why is that? And what technology is taking over ActiveX?

Thanks

ActiveX only runs in Internet Explorer thus it is not a good platform for applications that want to reach a wide variety of browsers. It is definately on the decline for public facing websites. I'd say it is still somewhat common for Corporate internal apps that need access to API's that normal web technologies simply can not reach.

Now a days, you can acheive much of the same behavior with Html, CSS and Javascript. Especially HTML5.

Also: There are So many browsers out there now. Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera, SkyFire, and all the various slimmed-down browsers that are now on mobile devices. You don't stand a chance if your users are using ANY of these browsers if you have an ActiveX Application

Much of what one could do with ActiveX can be done using some AJAX techniques, and what is commonly called HTML5 (you youngsters and your acronyms) where HTML5 = HTML, CSS, Javascript. Search for AJAX and HTML5 and you will come across millions of entries.

As Chris Kooken indicated, ActiveX is limited to IE and Windows platforms, and one has no hope of getting ActiveX to run on any of the current mobile platforms.

Even Microsoft has given up on ActiveX, they came up with Silverlight to replace it. And there are indications that Silverlight is being phased out too, in favor of HTML5.

Here's just one recent article demonstrating Microsoft's leanings: http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2010/11/silverlight-html5-and-microsofts-opaque-development-strategy.ars