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Quick DDE 2.0 FAQ

Table of contents

Quick DDE 2.04 - FAQ -1-

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General Applications Issues

Is Quick DDE specific for certain programs?

In general NO - data is sent to all DDE enabled programs. We provide MS Word &

Excel macros to make the selection of the CW fields just a bit easier.

Your template has customization for Word and Excel. Can otherapplications be added? What would it take to add even perhapslimited support for WP?

Yes, you can do other applications, but you have to do it yourself. By that I meangetting WP started via DDE and sending commands to it. You let QuickDDEbroadcast the fields only.

Are there any plans to add connectivity to WordPerfect like you

are doing for MS Word. I need to support both packages in thesoftware I develop.

Currently only Word & Excel are directly supported. We will look at WP in futureversions.

I'd like to do DDE with Quicken. Will it do that?

It is not directly supported

How easy is Quick DDE to implement?

Just a few mouse clicks away...

Can QDDE work with other programs (Corel) than with MS Office ?

Yes, but you must make the OLE2 connection within these programs by yourselves


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Template Usage

I have a multi-EXE application and I want to use the templates todo Word mail-merge in several of them. I assume I'll need to

distribute a DOC file for each EXE that uses it, correct?You can supply a variable name for the docs.

Do you include information on the API in MS Word, or whateveryou need, to make MS Word do things like, print a document or aseries of documents? Do I also need the MS developers kit tohave this information?

We do not include this information. You also do not need the MS developers kit!

Just install the WordBasic help file. During the installation of MS Office choose -custom and them select - install Word Basic Programmers help file

Our programs require quite a lot of fields to be available to theend user (approx 200, mixed STRINGs, LONGs, etc). When theseare entered into the list and the program is compiled, the errormessage "Dynamic pool limit exceeded isl.plists" is reported. I'vetried splitting the procedure down into source and recompiling,but nothing short of compiling in 32 bit mode helps.

Is it really necessary that you put all your fields in one window? Usually you haveone/two files per Browse box.

All fields from my Window exported to Word. I dont want them allto be available for use in Word.

You can go on the actions tab of each field in your window there is a checkboxUse this field as DDE field - select if you really want to use this field in Word.ListBoxes, however, can only be switched on/off. You can select the fields you like.In future releases we will address this issue.

From QuickDDE version 2.04 there is an option Exculde fields in the Window DDEconnection, please update your QuickDDE.


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Quick DDE will not work in a 32 Bit environment. When I push theWord/Excel Button my application loses the focus and Word is'hanging' in the background.

Please download the latest version of Quick DDE. In Quick DDE 2.02 all 32 bitsproblems are solved.

My CW application is up and running but when I go to Word andtry to Insert Clarion field Word gives a WordBasic error saying itcan not make connection to my CW application! But I alreadychanged the Word macro so it contains the right CW applicationname.

You forgot to insert the 'DDE Connection' on your Main Frame procedure! Youshould always do that! Please read the Quick DDE manual more carefully!

Can I use QuickDDE in a Multi-DLL-application ? If YES, how must Ido that ?

YES, QuickDDE is fully compatible for use in Multi-DLL-applications.

Add the DDE Global Definitions to each of your .APP-files (dont forget your DATA-

DLL !), add the Main Frame DDE Connection to your MDI-Frame-Procedure and theWindow DDE connection to each window where you want to use your applicationas an DDE-Server.

Note:

You have to have a MDI-Frame window. Quick DDE only works within a MDIapplication.

I want to use different documents to be printed from out myapplication. How must I do that ?

Use a variable-name for your document-names, then you only must fill the variablewith the correct name. If you did so, you can load and print as much differentdocument as you wish.


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Other Template Questions

You have added support for a variable name for the doc. Do youplan to add a file system that one could kind of set up a click the

report and fill the doc option? If not, what would it take to do it?We provide a way that the programmers use a CW variable for the document name.But because there can be a thousand ways of how you want to manage youdocuments list, we left this option to the CW programmer.

Is there a different template for C4 or will the same run in C4?

The same template will run on C4 - we built the template this way. It is fullycompatible with C4. Using Clarion4 the template automatically recognizes thetemplate-class and is available for applications using the ABC-templates and thethese using the Clarion-templates.

I just updated my QuickDDE install to version 2.04 for use withC4. Right now we are using the C4 legacy templates. One thingthat confused me was that the QuickDE/C4 install QuickDDEtemplate specifies both families in it, but only seems to work withthe ABC templates. We had to unregister it and register the copyfrom the QuickDDE/2003 install instead. Is this what you intendedor am I doing something wrong?

Update your QuickDDE version to at least version 2.05.

How do I install the template for CW 2.003 and Clarion 4 ?

Start Setup two times, onetime for each Clarion version.

Using Clarion 4 with the CW2003 templates QDDE does notappear in the list of templates for registering. This appears to belinked to the "FAMILY" setting in the header of QUICKDDE.TPL...this was not present in V2.03 and the V2.03 template DOESappear in the list if registered. If I remove the FAMILY entry itappears, but I do not know what side-effects this may have.

Update your QuickDDE to at least version 2.05, QuickDDE is now fully compatible forClarion- and ABC templates under Clarion 4.


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OLE Automation

I was expecting that you might use OLE to bring the Word windowright into the CW app. Nothing like that. You run a complete

session of Word separate from your app. Did you find it was notworth the effort or did it not work for you via CW?

I just found it not worth the effort. Actually, I could have done it very easily (it is nowalready done - a hidden OLE control is created on your screen) but I found itannoying. Maybe in the next version we will provide an option.

I noticed that since Word is more 32 bit that WP, you load it forevery instance of print for example and print the doc. WP onlyloads once and if you try to run it again, it refocuses you back tothe original instance. Is that one of the problems you ran into?

Yes, but it isn't actually my problem - it is a problem of the implementation of OLEwithin CW. When you use OLE control, CW always starts a new instance of it!

TopSpeed knows already about that and I really hope that they will fix this in thenext version of CW.

I'm bit confused about the DDE/OLE issue: I know it's possible tocontrol WORD from CW using DDE, and that it is also possible todo so via OLE. Since you mention both of them, I wonder: which ofthese two techniques are you using?

We are using BOTH of them!

DDE only for distributing/broadcasting data and OLE to fully control Word & Excel.We even encapsulated all the OLE functionality in Clarion OOP classes, so you canuse those yourself if you like.

If DDE-server is not started and opening a DOC with DDE-fields,Words asks Shall I start the application but it doesnt start itafter entering YES.

Make sure you load the DDE-documents only from out your application, all DDEfields must be activ before opening such a document.


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I moved the application which worked on my local PC to a Novell-Server. After that, I started the application (via an icon on mydesktop) to test the connections with Word and nothing happens.In the task-overview is see, that my application stand on notresponding

You cannot use icons on your windows desktop to start an application which stay ona Novell-Server. If you do this with an NT server, everything will work.

When I start Word/Excel via the application, I get a few errorstelling me that parameters are not known ?

This is the question, which version of MS Office is installed on your machine, pleasesee more details in the manual from QDDE and/or your Office manual (writtingmacros)

Word always starts up in a small window from within myapplication. When I start it from the Start-button it starts upmaximized. Can I do some thing about that?

At this moment not.


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Microsoft Word Issues

How can I change the menu text in Word from "Clarion Field"?

This is standard Word customizing.

Word 7.0: Go to Tools/Customize then choose Menu's - you will see the entiremenus and how to customize them.

Word97: Go to Tools/Customize then select the actual menu item from the Wordmain menu, right click on it and choose '&Name' to change the name.

NOTE: The menu option Insert Clarion Fields is only available when you load aQuick DDE Word Template (from within Word) directly (the template that containsthe macro - DDEDEMO.DOT for example). Then you can customize the menu.

Is it possible to use DDE to insert an image into a Word

document? I assume your templates dont directly support thisbut perhaps you could point me in the right direction.

It is possible, but you have to save the image as an external file and link the filepath via DDE field. For example insert the following field:

{INSERTPICTURE {DDEAUTO cwapp DATA CUS.IMAGEFILE}}

NOTE: You should always refresh all fields manually to see the different pictures.

If you have empty pictures you can insert the following field:

{IF {DDEAUTO cwapp DATA CUS.IMAGEFILE} = {INSERTPICTURE {DDEAUTOcwapp DATA CUS.IMAGEFILE}}}

NOTE: This is NOT officially supported. Use it at your own risk!

Bringing up the list of merge fields in Word gets much slowerwith a large list of fields, and the delay occurs each time the userbrings the list up to insert another field. I assume this is becauseeach time the merge field menu item is selected, Word initiatesanother conversation to retrieve the entire list of fields again. Isthere anything I can do to speed this up?

Update your QuickDDE- template to at least version 2.04.Quick DDE 2.04 - FAQ -8-

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When attempting to do this I get an 'OLE Automation Error' (thatis the error window title). The actual error message is 'CommandFailed'.

You get the 'Command failed' error because Word cannot find the saved document.In Word 7.0 and Word 97 you get a better error message saying that it cannot findthe document...

Word cannot find the document because it saves it in C:\My Documenst directory.To make sure that the document is saved in the directory where the applicationresides put a PATH() before the new doc name. For example, use Save As:

PATH() & '\' & CLIP(LET:DocNr) & '.DOC'

Can your templates (or can I, the programmer, with their help)take a word document file name and a data (comma-delimitedascii) file name, then start Word, do the merge, print thedocument, and close word?

Yes, this is possible, you can make this. If you look in the demo, the'BrowseCustomer'- Procedure and here for example the DDE-actions of the'OpenWord' button, you see there is a string included to open word. Here you canplace a variablename to open word. Now you only must fill the variable with thedocumentname and path.

To fill the document, you must fill some variables with the context of the data-fileand put these variables at the disposal for Word via QuickDDE.

My customer wants to save the generated documents under anunique name without links to my application, because he needsthe printed document later unchanged. To do this, I use theUnlink field-function I found at DDE Actions under theWord/Document-Tab and then save the document under avariable name. When loading the document in Word 97 I got

errors, that the links can not be made ?

That happens if you use Word 97 and configure the DDE-fields in your .DOT-file. Youmay noit do this, because Word 97 try to make the connections defined in thetemplate and after that open the document. Because the DDE-fields are alreadydefined in the template, you will get these errors. As you can read in the manual,you may not you DDE-fields in the .DOT-file, the .DOT-file is only used to get theadditional Menu Insert->Clarion Field. Save your template with the DDE-fields asa document (.DOC).


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Microsoft Excel Issues

How can I change the menu text in Excel from "Clarion Field"?

This is standard Excel customizing.

Excel 95 : Load our QDDE-template, go to the Module1-Tab, select Tools->Menu-Editor. You will see the entire menus and how to customize them.

Excel 97 : Go to Tools/Customize then select the actual menu item from the Excelmain menu, right click on it and choose '&Name' to change the name.

I have a browse table with 6 fields and 100 records. I want to adda button on the screen so when it is pushed it will launch Exceland bring over all the fields and records.

You can bring over all the fields for one record at the time - not all records in once.

In Excel you can insert each CW field in a different cell and each time you select adifferent record in your CW application the fields in Excel are automaticallyupdated.


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International versions of Wordand Excel

I have done some DDE with Excel and Word (Im using CW2.003).One big problem has been English/non-English Excel. We haveusers using English Excel and other users using Finnish. I had towrite code checking which one was used and then have theprogram to pick the right Excel-commands depending on this.How have you solved this matter? Interested to know. This issomething very basic for us non-Englishs.

With Quick DDE you can use Word & Excel in ANY language that you like! All at thesame time with the same CW application. We have done this by using OLE for thecommunication with Word/Excel. This is a language independent way, so you canuse any language of Word/Excel. Actually we use DDE only for sending the contents

of the CW data fields.

I use a national version of Winword 97 and changed charformatin the macro to my national parameter. Now I get anerrormessage every time I insert a Clarion field.

That is right, you must make this change only with older version of Word.

I use a national version of Winword 7.0 get errormessages everytime I insert a Clarion field.

Please read the manual more carefully, especially over different .DOT files and

languages.

How can I change the macro in Word/Excel ?

Read the MS Office manual


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Support

How can I get more support

Please mail [email protected]

Before sending any mail to our support department PLEASE make sure you read theQuick DDE manual and this FAQ very carefully!

Further, we do not provide support about general usage of Clarion for Windows.Please call TopSpeed for that.

Further, we do not provide support about other products from other Companies,please contact them about their products.

Where can I get the latest version of Quick DDE?

The latest versions and updates are available on our web site:

http://www.Princen-IT.nl/Clarion

I bought the template by Topspeed. Where can I get suppport andthe install-password ?

After getting the confirmation from Topspeed, you will get the password from us

Where can I get actual version of the FAQ ?

The actual version of this FAQ is always available via our Website :

HTTP://www.Princen-IT.nl/Clarion


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Sales

How much does Quick DDE cost and what is the easiest way toorder it?

If you order Quick DDE 2.0 directly from us the price will be:

Quick DDE 2.0 Full version : $99

Upgrade from version 1.5 : $54

You can also register via CompuServe SWREG but it will cost you a bit more:

Quick DDE 2.0 Full Version SWREG# 15890 $114

Quick DDE 2.0 Upgrade SWREG# 15891 $59

For purchasing or sales information, please contact our Sales Department via

Internet mail: [email protected]

If you want to use a Credit Card, we accept payments only with Master Card (noVisa).

Fax: +31-(0)412-645031

You can also send payment by check or cash to the following address:

Sales DepartmentPrincen IT

Amsteleindstr 100

5345 HB OssThe Netherlands

Please supply your Internet mail address (or CompuServe) and your fullname and address! After receiving the payment you will receive an e-mail withthe installation password.


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I hate to ask you. Is there a money back guarantee? I haverecently spent too much in CW products that do not work. I havespent time and money in DDE related stuff.

I am sorry to tell you, but there is NO money back guarantee. You can get the Demo andsee if it works for your needs, and how it works.


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