15.6. Summary

Although Groovy is a language that runs on top of a multiplatform JVM, you’ve discovered in this chapter how to leverage Windows native applications through the use of the complimentary Scriptom module, which wraps an API to access native COM and ActiveX objects through JNI, the Java Native Interface. You learned how to access properties and call methods on these objects, and you also saw how to subscribe to events supported by these applications. You put what you learned into action by creating and running some compelling scripts that automate collaboration between various applications and interact with the host environment.

Groovy and Scriptom are a powerful combination to bridge two worlds: the Java world with its many free libraries and server-side applications, and Microsoft’s platform and its end-user-rich native applications. Scriptom allows you to interact almost intuitively with the host environment to create complex automation tasks and control multiple applications and external Java libraries at the same time.