CORBA clients generally make use of something called a CORBA Stub, while CORBA servers use a similar structural component called a CORBA Skeleton . Both are created by the IDL, when it is run through a preprocessor. This means that IDL operation definitions are mapped directly into the Stub or Skeleton. The following Slide Show focuses on these structural components and the functions they perform.

When implementing CORBA application components, you will encounter what are known as client stubs and server skeletons. A client stub is a small piece of code that allows a client component to access a server component. This piece of code is compiled along with the client portion of the application. Similarly, server skeletons are pieces of code that you "fill in" when you implement a server. You don't need to write the client stubs and server skeletons themselves; these pieces of code are generated when you compile IDL interface definitions. Again, you'll soon see all this firsthand

Alternative view of the Core Corba Architecture.
The structural makeup of CORBA clients and servers, along with their associated Stubs and Skeletons is pretty straightforward. The next lesson digs a little deeper and explores how the Stub and Skeleton perform their duties.