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Q159963: WD97: Word 97 Supports ODMA

Article: Q159963
Product(s): Word 97 for Windows
Version(s): 
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kb3rdparty kbinterop word97
Last Modified: 20-FEB-2002

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Word 97 for Windows 
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SUMMARY
=======

ODMA is the Open Document Management API. ODMA provides applications with a
consistent method to integrate seamlessly with clients from document management
systems (DMS).

ODMA is a standardized, high-level interface that enables you to transparently
access a DMS from your desktop program, such as Microsoft Word 97 for Windows.
With ODMA, these services appear to be an extension of the program.

Common DMS software packages will replace the standard Open and Save dialog boxes
in Word with customized dialog boxes that provide security and version control
functions such as:

- a way to enter or remove a document

- Controlled access to documents

- Locks on any document when checked out

- Some degree of security when distributing documents

- A means for quick searches on the names of documents in the system

- A means of tracking access to the document system

In order to enable ODMA functionality in Word or Office, you must install a DMS
system along with the Word or Office software.

NOTE: Microsoft Word 97 for Windows and Microsoft Office Binder 97 are
ODMA-compliant applications. When you add a Word 97 document from file or add a
new Word 97 section to a binder, Word 97 remains ODMA-compliant.

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

Described below are the specific calls and steps an ODMA-compliant application
goes through during integration with a DMS.

When an application first wants to interact with the document management
environment, it does an ODMRegisterApp call to the ODMA Connection Manager
(ODMA). It will typically do this as part of its startup, but it can delay it
until the user actually initiates interaction with the document management
system (DMS). ODMA returns a handle for the application to use for
identification in all subsequent calls. When the application exits, it calls
ODMUnRegisterApp to return the handle.

As part of this registration process, ODMA will search the Windows Registry for a
registered DMS in the following key:

  HKEY_Local_Machine\Software\Classes\ODMA

It tries to connect to the first DMS whose key has a sub-key of DEFAULT. The
value for the DMS key itself is for an executable provided by the DMS vendor.
This is typically a .DLL whose function is to translate the ODMA calls into
calls to the DMS client's own integration API. If the user has not already
logged in to this DMS either directly or from another application, then the DMS
client puts up a log-in screen. Once an application has registered with ODMA, it
either continues with API calls, or can switch to a COM interface. ODMA then
becomes essentially a transparent traffic manager, passing ODMA calls through to
the appropriate DMS client. The DMS client implements the COM interface, as an
aggregation of that in ODMA.

NOTE: Applications do not register with ODMA. They provide an additional API call
that the Connection Manager uses to "wake up" the DMS integration, which returns
an interface Id.

Requests for new documents and searches go to the default DMS. If the application
provides a document id that is for a different DMS, the Connection Manager
starts the DMS client if it is not already connected, and passes the call to
it.

All dialogs for searching, selecting and setting properties of documents, as well
as log-in, come from the DMS client. In ODMA 1.0, neither ODMA nor the
application provide any dialogs.

To open a document, the application calls ODMSelectDoc and the DMS displays a
dialog for the user to select the document and version required. The application
calls ODMOpenDoc to ask the DMS to retrieve a work copy for the application to
open.

To save a new document, the application calls ODMNewDoc to get a temporary
document Id, ODMSaveAs for the user to complete a profile, ODMOpenDoc to get a
filename to save to and ODMSaveDoc to let the DMS know it can take the file.
ODMCloseDoc completes the process and tells the DMS to delete the local work
copy of the file.


For more information about ODMA, please see the following Web site:

  http://www.aiim.org/odma/odma.htm

DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM SOFTWARE VENDORS
-------------------------------------------

The following is a list of Document Management System (DMS) vendors:

DOCS Open:

Hummingbird
1 Sparks Avenue
North York, Ontario
Canada M2H 2W1
Telephone: (416) 496-2200 or (877) 359-4866
Web Address: http://www.hummingbird.com (http://www.hummingbird.com)

Technical Support:
Telephone: (850) 942-5000
Fax: (850) 942-8085
E-mail: support@pcdocs.com

Documentum:

DOCUMENTUM, INC.
6801 Koll Center Parkway
Pleasanton, CA 94566
Telephone: (925) 600-6800
Fax: (925) 600-6850
Web Address: http://www.documentum.com/ (http://www.documentum.com/)

Technical Support:
Support Hotline: (925) 600-6860
E-mail: support@documentum.com

GroupWise :

Novell, Inc.
1555 North Technology Way
Orem, UT 84097
Telephone: (888) 321-4272
Web Address: http://www.novell.com (http://www.novell.com)

Technical Support:
Telephone: (800) 858-4000
Web Address: http://support.novell.com/ (http://support.novell.com/)

The third-party products discussed in this article are manufactured by vendors
independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding
these products' performance or reliability.

The third-party contact information included in this article is provided to help
you find the technical support you need. This contact information is subject to
change without notice. Microsoft in no way guarantees the accuracy of this
third-party contact information.

Additional query words: 8.0 odma api

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Keywords          : kb3rdparty kbinterop word97 
Technology        : kbWordSearch kbWord97 kbWord97Search kbZNotKeyword2
Version           : :

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