OLE Automation

OLE Automation refers to Object Linking and Embedding.
ActiveX Automation, formerly known as OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) Automation, allows you to manipulate programmable objects KB - 184974
Automation (formerly OLE Automation) is a feature that programs use to expose their objects to development tools, macro languages, and other programs that support Automation.
For example, a spreadsheet program may expose a worksheet, chart, cell, or range of cells, each as a different type of object.
A word processor might expose objects such as an application, a document, a paragraph, a sentence, a bookmark, or a selection.
When a program supports Automation, you can use Visual Basic for Applications to access the objects it exposes.
You manipulate these objects in Visual Basic by invoking methods on the object or by getting and setting the object's properties.

There are four files that are needed. They are often referred to as the Automation files:
Oleauto32.dll
Olepro32.dll
Asycfit.dll
Stdole2.tlb

Application.ODBCErrors

Returns a collection that contains all the ODBC errors generated by the most recent query table or pivottable report

Application.ODBCTimeOut

Returns or sets the ODBC query time limit in seconds. The default is 45 seconds

Application.OLEDBErrors

Returns a collection which represents the error information returned by the most recent OLE DB query

Dynamic Data Exchange

Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) was an early technology that enabled the exchange of information between applications in Visual Basic 3.0
Excel Interop > DDE Server

COM

Component Object Model
This technology enables software components to communicate
The family of COM technologies includes:

COM+
DCOM (Distributes)
ActiveX Controls

All the Microsoft Office application have been written using COM technology
COM OLE allows files to dynamically link to one another
COM Automation allows users to write scripts to control one application from another

ActiveX

Can be used to exchange information between applications.