What is the difference between late binding and early binding?
Late binding and early binding are terms that are typically heard when discussing OLE Automation. Binding refers to a process that takes place during compilation. During compilation the compiler needs various pieces of information about objects it is dealing with to do syntax checking and other operations. Early binding means that this information for an object is determined at compile time. This is typically done by referencing a type library. The type library provides all of the information required by the compiler. Late binding means that the information for an object is determined at run time. This is typically done by querying the interfaces of the running object and determining what methods are valid. This process must occur each and every time the application runs and is slow. Early binding is typically twice as fast as late binding.
