SAMPLE: Executing Excel Functions with Return Values Using DDE

ID: Q83661

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

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 kbGrpUser kbWinOS310 kbWinOS300 kbUser
Version : WINDOWS:3.0,3.1
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type :