Can I Make an ActiveX Control Without a User Interface?

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Yes, you can.

Why would you want an invisible control? In most cases, Active X (formerly OLE) controls probably should be visible, since they are meant for user interaction. If you simply want a component that can fire events to a container but you want it to be invisible, consider writing an Automation server with event support. A timer control is an example of an ActiveX control you would want to be invisible. See Automation Servers.

For further discussion, see Chapter 10 of Adam Denning's book OLE Controls Inside Out (Microsoft Press, 1995).