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About the DDE built-in package

The DDE built-in package provides Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) support within Reports Builder components.

Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) is a mechanism by which applications can communicate and exchange data in Windows. DDE client support is added as a procedural extension to Reports Builder. The PL/SQL package for DDE support provides application developers with an Application Programming Interface (API) for accessing DDE functionality from within PL/SQL procedures and triggers.

The DDE functions enable Oracle applications to communicate with other DDE-compliant Windows applications (servers) in three ways:

DDE does not include the following:

Oracle applications cannot automatically receive an update notice when a data item has changed.

Oracle applications cannot respond to commands or requests for data from a DDE client. Oracle Applications must initiate the DDE conversation (although data may still be transferred in either direction).

DDE functions overview

As part of the DDE built-in package, the DDE functions available from within PL/SQL procedures and triggers can be grouped into the following categories:

Support functions

These functions are used to start and stop other DDE Server applications.

DDE.APP_BEGIN

Begins a DDE server application.

DDE.APP_END

Ends a DDE server application.

DDE.APP_FOCUS

Focuses a DDE server application.

Connect/Disconnect functions

These functions are used to connect to and disconnect from DDE server applications.

DDE.INITIATE

Starts a DDE conversation with a DDE server application.

DDE.TERMINATE

Ends a DDE conversation with a DDE server application.

Transaction functions

These functions are used to exchange data with DDE server applications.

DDE.EXECUTE 

Executes a command recognized by a DDE server application. 

DDE.POKE 

Supplies information to a DDE server application.

DDE.REQUEST 

Requests information from a DDE server application.

Datatype translation functions

These functions are used to translate DDE data type constants to strings and back; in addition, DDE.GETFORMATNUM allows users to register a new data format that is not predefined by Microsoft Windows. Note that these functions do not translate the data itself (all DDE data is represented with the CHAR data type in PL/SQL), just data type constants.

DDE.GETFORMATNUM 

Convert/register a data format string to a number.

DDE.GETFORMATSTR 

Convert a data format number to a string.

Note: When you attempt to execute a Windows-specific built-in function on a non-Windows platform, the following messages are generated:

Trigger <name> raised unhandled exception.
ORA-06509, 00000 PL/SQL: ICD vector missing for this package.

See also

DDE built-in package

DDE built-in exceptions

DDE built-in package examples

Microsoft Windows predefined data formats

About built-in packages