KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q83661: SAMPLE: Executing Excel Functions with Return Values Using DDE

Article: Q83661
Product(s): Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit
Version(s): WINDOWS:3.0,3.1
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbsample kb16bitonly kbDDE kbGrpDSUser kbOSWin310 kbOSWin300 kbUser
Last Modified: 04-NOV-1999

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) versions 3.0, 3.1 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY
=======

In the Windows environment, an application cannot use the WM_DDE_EXECUTE message
to execute a Microsoft Excel function that returns a value. Excel enforces this
limitation because it has no mechanism to provide the return value to the client
application. If the client application is not interested in the function's
return value, it can work around this limitation by posting a WM_DDE_EXECUTE
message to Excel with commands to do the following:

- Create a macro sheet.

- Write the desired function call to the macro sheet.

- Run the macro.

DDEXL is a sample in the Microsoft Software Library that demonstrates this
technique. DDEXL allows the user to initiate a conversation with Excel, execute
a series of Excel commands, which draw a chart (using CREATE.OBJECT), and
terminate the conversation.

MORE INFORMATION
================

The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Software
Library:

  DDEXL.EXE (http://support.microsoft.com/download/support/mslfiles/DDEXL.EXE)

For more information about downloading files from the Microsoft Software Library,
please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q119591 How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services


Additional query words: softlib DDEXL.EXE

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbsample kb16bitonly kbDDE kbGrpDSUser kbOSWin310 kbOSWin300 kbUser 
Technology        : kbAudDeveloper kbWin3xSearch kbSDKSearch kbWinSDKSearch kbWinSDK300 kbWinSDK310
Version           : WINDOWS:3.0,3.1

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.