WordPerfect Office

Using files with DDE Execute from previous versions of WordPerfect

Older versions of WordPerfect, such as WordPerfect 5.1 and WordPerfect 6.1, use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) Execute to trade information or allow one application to instruct another to perform specific tasks.

To use DDE Execute you need to refer to:

Sending commands to other Windows applications

Using DDE you can create WordPerfect macros that send commands to control other applications running under Windows. For example, you can create a macro that launches a spreadsheet application, loads a file, and copies a range of cells to a table in WordPerfect.

Sending commands to WordPerfect

Other applications can also use DDE Execute to control WordPerfect. The application must first initiate a DDE conversation using the service (application) name of “WPWin15_Macros” and topic name of “Commands.” Before terminating the conversation, the application can send DDE Execute strings made up of one or more WordPerfect macro commands. Note that WordPerfect accepts only product commands, not programming commands. These product commands cannot contain variables or expressions. See the WordPerfect Macros Help file for a list of product commands and descriptions.

Other applications can also send commands to WordPerfect as a DDE Request item in order to receive a string representing the command’s return value. The application must send the DDE Execute string or DDE Request item in ANSI text format. WordPerfect returns the DDE Request result as an ANSI text string. If either a DDE Execute string or a DDE Request item returns an error, the application can send a DDE Request on the item “LastCmdError” to find out what error occurred. This item will return an ANSI text string containing a three-digit error code and a description of the error.

DDE Execute application names, services, and topics

Using files with DDE Execute from previous versions of WordPerfect