Make an object method a DDE source 1

[JoeAtWork]

My client has an Excel sheet that has DDE links to a PLC application. For example, in one of the cells the forumula is:

=kepdde|_ddedata!kps_serial.plc.count1

I am trying to create VB EXE that will simulate the PLC application, i.e. I want my VB app to be the DDE source.
I can make the project name "kepdde" and set the form's LinkMode = "1-Source" and it's LinkTopic property = "_ddedata".

However, I haven't figured out how to make a LinkItem with the name "kps_serial.plc.count1". It seems that in a VB app that is a DDE server, the LinkItem is always a name of a control (e.g. a textbox). Since I can't name a control "kps_serial.plc.count1", I can't simulate the LinkItem.

I am wondering if I can create an object "kps_serial" that has a PLC property (which is another object) which in turn has a "count1" property, and then set the "count1" property as the LinkItem?

Or alternatively, is there some way I can create a LinkItem in the DDE source form that has periods in the name?

 

[strongm]

DDE in VB6 used to be pretty poor and buggy (I havent used it since the original release, so I can't say how much has been fixed in the various service packs). As a client it was vaguely useable, but as a server (as you are discovering) it is pretty limited in it's capabilties. I'm not certain that you can achieve your goal with VB6 alone (I recall that there were some ActiveX controls that extended and enhanced the native VB DDE).

 

[JoeAtWork]

Strongm - I found one of those ActiveX controls you mentioned.

http://www.angelfire.com/biz/rhaminisys/ddserver.html

I've been trying it out and it seems to do the job.

Thanks for the tip.