Program Access Techniques

This part presents a collection of techniques you can use to implement program access features in the applications you develop with PowerBuilder. It includes using DDE in an application, using OLE in an application, building a mail-enabled application, and adding other processing extensions.

Table of Contents

Using DDE in an Application
About DDE
DDE functions and events
Using OLE in an Application
OLE support in PowerBuilder
OLE controls in a window
OLE controls and insertable objects
Setting up the OLE control
Linking versus embedding
Offsite or in-place activation
Menus for in-place activation
Modifying an object in an OLE control
OLE custom controls
Setting up the custom control
Programming the ActiveX control
Programmable OLE Objects
OLEObject object type
Assignments among OLEControl, OLECustomControl, and OLEObject datatypes
Automation scenario
OLE objects in scripts
The automation interface
Automation and the Any datatype
OLEObjects for efficiency
Handling errors
Creating hot links
Setting the language for OLE objects and controls
Low-level access to the OLE object
OLE objects in DataWindow objects
OLE information in the Browser
Advanced ways to manipulate OLE objects
Structure of an OLE storage
Object types for storages and streams
Opening and saving storages
Opening streams
Strategies for using storages
Building a Mail-Enabled Application
About MAPI
Using MAPI
Using External Functions and Other Processing Extensions
Using external functions
Declaring external functions
Sample declarations
Passing arguments
Using utility functions to manage information
Sending Windows messages
The Message object
Message object properties
Context information
Context information service
Context keyword service
CORBACurrent service (obsolete)
Error logging service
Internet service
Transaction server service