Well, I found the FPW / Excel DDE code, I'll show it just as I got it.
* DDEXL1.PRG
*
* This simple program shows the basic steps
* needed for FoxPro to access another application
* acting as a DDE server. To see how it works,
* single step through the code, reading the comments
* as you go. It shows the use of DDEInitiate,
* DDERequest, DDEPoke, DDETerminate and DDELastError.
****************************************************
* The first thing we have to do is start a
* conversation with the server. In this case,
* we're going to "talk" to Microsoft Excel.
* To do this we start or "initiate" the conversation
* by opening up a "channel" to Excel. (Note, if
* Excel doesn't start on the next step, then either
* start it manually and retry, or place it in your
* MS-DOS path before starting Windows.)
channel = DDEInitiate("Excel", "Sheet1"
? "Channel is:", channel
* This command will try and start Excel if it isn't
* already running and then tell it that it wants to
* talk about "Sheet1". This is called the "topic"
* of the conversation. Every conversaction is
* about only one topic. Only certain topics are
* understood by the server and only the server
* documentation can tell you what those are. In
* the case of Excel, we are asking to talk about
* a spreadsheet called "Sheet1" -- the default
* empty spreadsheet that Excel opens.
* Let's ask Excel what is in cell R1C1 of the Sheet1.
* We do this with the DDERequest command, like so:
? "<" + DDERequest(channel, "R1C1"
+ ">"
* Notice how the cell is empty. If we switch over
* to Excel and put something in the cell, we can
* try again.
? "<" + DDERequest(channel, "R1C1"
+ ">"
* This time we get the value of the cell. Notice
* how this is returned as a string. Everything
* returned by a simple DDERequest like this will be
* a string, so if you're expecting numbers, you'll
* have to convert them into numbers explicitly.
* In the simple DDERequests above, the second
* parameter passed to the function is called the
* "Item". The Item defines what this part of the
* conversation is about. Remember that we already
* know that the main topic of conversation is
* "Sheet1". The Item is a sub-topic within
* the main topic.
* Another DDE command that Excel understands in a
* conversation about a spreadsheet is the "Poke"
* command. The DDEPoke command below tells Excel
* "Here, take this value and do something with it".
* We provide an Item to help clarify exactly what
* to do with it. Thus:
? DDEPoke(channel, "R1C2", "2"
* will place the value 2 into cell R1C2. The "R1C1"
* parameter is still called the "Item". The "2"
* parameter is called the "Data". Note that it is
* string value. Just as DDERequest only returns
* strings, DDEPoke only sends strings.
* We can also 'poke' a formula into a cell, e.g.
? DDEPoke(channel, "R1C3", "=A1+B1"
* (Note that the Topic always uses RC notation, but
* the Data uses whatever mode Excel is currently in.)
* Switching to Excel shows that this works. In
* fact, we can now retrieve the summed cells from
* Excel using:
? "<" + DDERequest(channel, "R1C3"
+ ">"
* When we're finished with a conversation, we can
* end it by using the "DDETerminate" function. I.e.
? DDETerminate(channel)
* Notice how all the DDE commands are actually
* functions. I.e., they all return a value.
* Typically this value will be .T. If an error
* occurs, then .F. will be returned. You can then
* use the DDELastError function to determine why it
* failed. For example, if I now try and Poke to
* the channel I just closed:
? DDEPoke(channel, "R1C3", "=A1+B1"
* I get .F. returned. By checking DDELastError
? DDELastError()
* and looking up the help entry for it, you can see
* what went wrong.
Rick
