M B # 89
| Marketing Bulletin No. 89
December 2, 1998  
32-Bit DDE Support Library for NPL under MS-WindowsNiakwa is pleased to present the 32-Bit DDE Support Library for NPL, the successor to the 16-Bit version originally developed by Strategic Planning Services (SPS). The 32-Bit DDE Library is a set of Windows external sub-routines used to interface NPL applications to the Windows Dynamic Data Exchange APIs. FEATURESThis is an important and powerful product for developers who wish to access popular Windows based applications such as Excel, Word, Access, the Clipboard, and other DDE-aware applications! Database information can be sent to or retrieved from these Windows applications very quickly and easily. Developers can also take advantage of existing Windows applications to handle parts of a client's requirements, rather than having to design and implement solutions solely in NPL in order to maintain integration. The intent of the DDE Library is to keep the interface model to NPL relatively simple and deal with the details invisibly to the NPL application. Multiple simultaneous conversations (channels) are supported. Initialization and clean-up are handled automatically. Data transfers use the basic Windows text format since all Windows applications can work with it. Both client and server functions are supported. As an example, an NPL database may link to a word processor application as a client allowing the database to include text from word processing documents as required. It could, at the same time, link to a charting application as a server, allowing the chart to dynamically query the database for current data. All of this is made possible by incorporating a few simple functions as described below. FUNCTIONSThe DDE Library combines Niakwa's sample clipboard functions with a set of DDE client and server routines and makes them available to programmers in the NPL environment: | FUNCTION | DESCRIPTION |
|---|
DDE Client routines | | OpenDDE (Application$, Topic$, Channel) | Initiate a conversation with a server application, return the channel number | | CloseDDE (Channel) | Close the conversation on that channel | | RequestDDE (Channel, Item$, Result$) | Send a request for Item$, return the result | | PokeDDE (Channel, Item$, Data$) | Start Data$ for Item$ | | ExecApp (App$) | Start a Windows application | | ExecDDE (Channel, Command$) | Send a command to a server application | DDE Server Routines | | NameServer (Name$) | Register this RTIWin as a DDE Server | | SetPasteLink (App$, Topic$, Item$, Result) | Copy Link information to the Clipboard (inverse of Niakwa's GetPasteLink) | | GetRequest (Item$) | Check to see if there is a pending client request | | PutRequest (Result$, Error) | Pass the result of the last request back to the client, or flag an error in the request | Niakwa-supplied Clipboard Routines | | SetClipboard (Item$,Result) | Put Item$ on the Clipboard in Text form | | GetClipboard (Item$, Result) | Get current Text from Clipboard in Item$ | | GetPasteLink (App$, Topic$, Item$, Result) | Get current Link from Clipboard |
REQUIREMENTS- Windows 95, 98, NT
- NPL 5.0 or greater
- 3-1/2" Media
PRICING & AVAILABILITYThe 32-Bit DDE Support Library is sold separately from the NPL V Integrated Development Environment (IDE). It can be purchased for a one-time fee per developer per version. This price is the same whether it is a first time purchase or an update from the 16-bit version. See pricing information contained in this mailing. To order the DDE Support library, contact Niakwa by phone at (847)816-7400, fax at (847)816-7420, e-mail at sales@niakwa.com or contact your authorized Niakwa Distributor. |
