XPCOM (Cross Platform Component Object Model) is a cross platform component model from the Mozilla Foundation. It is similar to CORBA or Microsoft's COM. It has multiple language bindings and IDL descriptions so programmers can plug their custom functionality into the framework and connect it with other components. XPCOM is one of the main things that makes the Mozilla application environment an actual framework. It is a development environment that provides several features for cross-platform software developers.
XPCOM lets developers write components in C++, C, JavaScript, Python, or other languages for which special bindings have been created, and compile and run those components on dozens of different platforms, including these and others where Mozilla itself is supported.
The flexibility to reuse the XPCOM components from the Gecko library and develop new components that run on different platforms facilitates rapid application development and results in an application that is more productive and easier to maintain. The networking library, file I/O, security, password management, and profiles are XPCOM components that programmers can use during application development. [more]
