How to Manipulate Groups & Items in Program Manager Using DDE

• Professional and Enterprise Editions of Microsoft Visual Basic, 16-bit only, for Windows, version 4.0

SUMMARY

This article shows by example how to manipulate groups and items in Program Manager by using DDE.

MORE INFORMATION

Program Manager has a DDE command-string interface that allows other applications to:

• Create, display, delete, and reload groups.
• Add items to groups.
• Replace items in groups.
• Delete items from groups.
• Close Program Manager.

   CreateGroup
   Reload (Windows 3.1 only)
   DeleteGroup
   ShowGroup
   ReplaceItem (Windows 3.1 only)
   DeleteItem (Windows version 3.1 only)
   AddItem

Step-by-Step Example

Perform the following steps to produce an application that manipulates Program Manager using DDE:

1. Start a new project in Visual Basic. Form1 is created by default.

2. Add the following controls to Form1, setting properties as indicated:

      Control                      Property   Value
      ----------------------------------------------------------------
      Text box (Text1)
      Label (Label1)               Caption    Group
      Text box (Text2)             Name       GGroup
      Label (Label2)               Caption    Item
      Text box (Text3)             Name       GItem
      Label (Label3)               Caption    Command Line
      Text box (Text4              Name       ItemExe
      Command button (Command1)    Name       CGroup (for create group)
      Command button (Command2)    Name       DGroup (for delete group)
      Command button (Command3)    Name       SGroup (for show group)
      Command button (Command4)    Name       Reload
      Command button (Command5)    Name       AItem (for add item)
      Command button (Command6)    Name       DItem (for delete item)
      Command button (Command7)    Name       RItem (for replace item)
   
   

3. Add the following code to the CGroup_Click event:

      Private Sub CGroup_Click ()
      Dim cmd As String
         On Error GoTo CGError
         text1.LinkMode = 0
         text1.LinkTopic = "Progman|Progman"
         text1.LinkMode = 2
         cmd = "[CreateGroup(" + GGroup.Text + ")]"
         text1.LinkExecute cmd
      CGDone:   text1.LinkMode = 0
         Exit Sub
      CGError:
         MsgBox "Error Adding Group"
         Resume CGDone
      End Sub
   
   

4. Add the following code to the DGroup_Click event:

      Private Sub DGroup_Click ()
      Dim cmd As String
         On Error GoTo DGError
         text1.LinkMode = 0
         text1.LinkTopic = "Progman|Progman"
         text1.LinkMode = 2
         cmd = "[DeleteGroup(" + GGroup.Text + ")]"
         text1.LinkExecute cmd
      DGDone:   text1.LinkMode = 0
         Exit Sub
      DGError:
         MsgBox "Error Deleting Group"
         Resume DGDone
      End Sub
   
   
   

5. Add the following code to the SGroup_Click event:

      Private Sub SGroup_Click ()
         Dim cmd As String
         On Error GoTo SGError
         text1.LinkMode = 0
         text1.LinkTopic = "Progman|Progman"
         text1.LinkMode = 2
         cmd = "[ShowGroup(" + GGroup.Text + ", 2" + ")]"
         text1.LinkExecute cmd
         cmd = "[ShowGroup(" + GGroup.Text + ", 1" + ")]"
         text1.LinkExecute cmd
      SGDone:
         text1.LinkMode = 0
         Exit Sub
      SGError:
         MsgBox "Error Showing Group"
         Resume SGDone
      End Sub
   
   

6. Add the following code to the Reload_Click event:

      Private Sub Reload_Click ()
      Dim cmd As String
         On Error GoTo RLError
         text1.LinkMode = 0
         text1.LinkTopic = "Progman|Progman"
         text1.LinkMode = 2
         cmd = "[Reload(" + GGroup.Text + ")]"
         text1.LinkExecute cmd
      RLDone:   text1.LinkMode = 0
         Exit Sub
      RLError:
         MsgBox "Error Reloading Group"
         Resume RLDone
      End Sub
   
   

7. Add the following code to the AItem_Click event:

      Private Sub AItem_Click ()
      Dim cmd As String
         On Error GoTo AIError
         text1.LinkMode = 0
         text1.LinkTopic = "Progman|Progman"
         text1.LinkMode = 2
         '*** The ShowGroup is necessary because AddItem changes the group
         '*** with the focus. ShowGroup gives the focus to the group where
         '*** you want the action taken.
         If (Len(GGroup.Text) > 0) Then
            cmd = "[ShowGroup(" + GGroup.Text + ", 2" + ")]"
            text1.LinkExecute cmd
            cmd = "[ShowGroup(" + GGroup.Text + ", 1" + ")]"
            text1.LinkExecute cmd
         End If
         cmd = "[Additem(" + ItemExe.Text + "," + GItem.Text + ")]"
         text1.LinkExecute cmd
      AIDone:
         text1.LinkMode = 0
         Exit Sub
      AIError:
         MsgBox "Error adding Item"
         Resume AIDone
      End Sub
   
   

8. Add the following code to the DItem_Click event:

      Private Sub DItem_Click ()
         Dim cmd As String
         On Error GoTo DIError
         text1.LinkMode = 0
         text1.LinkTopic = "Progman|Progman"
         text1.LinkMode = 2
         '*** ShowGroup is necessary because DeleteItem changes the group
         '*** with the focus. ShowGroup gives the focus to the group where
         '*** you want the action taken.
         If (Len(GGroup.Text) > 0) Then
            cmd = "[ShowGroup(" + GGroup.Text + ", 2" + ")]"
            text1.LinkExecute cmd
            cmd = "[ShowGroup(" + GGroup.Text + ", 1" + ")]"
            text1.LinkExecute cmd
         End If
         cmd = "[DeleteItem(" + GItem.Text + ")]"
         text1.LinkExecute cmd
      DIDone:   text1.LinkMode = 0
         Exit Sub
      DIError:
         MsgBox "Error Deleting Item"
         Resume DIDone
      End Sub
   
   

9. Add the following code to the RItem_Click event:

      Private Sub RItem_Click ()
      Dim cmd As String
         On Error GoTo RIError
         text1.LinkMode = 0
         text1.LinkTopic = "Progman|Progman"
         text1.LinkMode = 2
         '*** ShowGroup gives the focus to the group where you want the action
         '*** taken.
         If (Len(GGroup.Text) > 0) Then
            cmd = "[ShowGroup(" + GGroup.Text + ", 2" + ")]"
            text1.LinkExecute cmd
            cmd = "[ShowGroup(" + GGroup.Text + ", 1" + ")]"
            text1.LinkExecute cmd
         End If
         cmd = "[ReplaceItem(" + GItem.Text + ")]"
         text1.LinkExecute cmd
         cmd = "[Additem(" + ItemExe.Text + "," + GItem.Text + ")]"
         text1.LinkExecute cmd
      RIDone:
         text1.LinkMode = 0
         Exit Sub
      RIError:
         MsgBox "Error Replacing Item"
         Resume RIDone
      End Sub
   
   

10. On the Run menu, click Start (ALT, R, S) or press the F5 key to run the program. Enter the group you want created in the GGroup box, and click the Create Group button. You will now see the group you created in Program Manager. To add an item to a group, enter the group in the GGroup box. Enter the item you want added in the GItem box, and enter the command line in the ItemExe box. The item will now be in the group you specified.

REFERENCES

For more information, please see the "Programmers Reference, Volume 1: Overview Microsoft Windows SDK," chapter 17, "Shell Dynamic DataExchange Interface." Also, look in the Windows SDK Help file in the Progman topic.