SAMPLE: DDEEXEC Demonstrates DDE Execute Strings

 Last reviewed: February 15, 1996
Article ID: Q97408
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) for Windows version 3.1

SUMMARY

DDE Execute Strings

Herman Rodent Microsoft Developer Network Technology Group

Created: November 16, 1992

The dynamic data exchange (DDE) protocol includes a feature designed to allow a DDE client application to send commands to a DDE server. The syntax of these execute requests and the way they should be handled by servers is not well documented and, consequently, varies slightly with different implementations.

The current DDE protocol has no provision for returning result information from an execute request, so a client application can only tell that the request failed, not why it failed.

This article proposes a consistent way to handle DDE execute command requests and a mechanism that allows result information to be returned. This article covers the following points:

  • DDE execute command syntax
  • Special characters in command arguments
  • Unicode considerations for Microsoft Windows NT
  • The returning of result information

DDEEXEC is a dynamic data exchange (DDE) server that supports an Execute command set. The commands allow DDE client applications to draw pictures in the main window of the server. The following sample client applications use the DDEExec server and are included with this application:
  • EXEC is a Visual Basic(TM) version 2.0 application that allows any Execute command to be sent to a given topic of a DDE server. This sample client application tests the basic command set of a DDE server and ensures that the server reports command errors correctly.
  • BUNNY is a Visual Basic 2.0 application that uses the server to draw a picture of a bunny rabbit.
  • WBUNNY.DOC is a Word for Windows(TM) document based on the WBUNNY.DOT template that uses Word's embedded Basic language to draw yet another bunny picture.
  • XLART.XLM is a sample Microsoft Excel macro sheet that shows how you can use Microsoft Excel as a DDE client to draw fascinatingly complex pictures.

Download DDEEXEC.EXE, a self-extracting file, from the Microsoft Software Library (MSL) on the following services:
  • Microsoft Download Service (MSDL) 

          Dial (206) 936-6735 to connect to MSDL
      Download DDEEXEC.EXE (size: 304572 bytes)
  • Internet (anonymous FTP) 

          ftp ftp.microsoft.com
      Change to the \SOFTLIB\MSLFILES directory
      Get DDEEXEC.EXE (size: 304572 bytes)

Additional reference words: 3.10 softlib DDEEXEC.EXE
KBCategory: kbprg kbfile
KBSubcategory: UsrDde

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Last reviewed: February 15, 1996
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