XL2000: Visual Basic Examples Using DDE

Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) is a method to exchange data with another DDE-compliant program. In Microsoft Excel, one way you can use DDE is through a Visual Basic for Applications macro.

The following macro code provides some simple examples using DDE from Microsoft Excel to Microsoft Word. Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language being demonstrated and the tools used to create and debug procedures. Microsoft support professionals can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific needs. If you have limited programming experience, you may want to contact a Microsoft Certified Partner or the Microsoft fee-based consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about Microsoft Certified Partners, please visit the following Microsoft Web site: For more information about the support options that are available and about how to contact Microsoft, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

Macro Example 1:

NOTE: To use this macro, Microsoft Word must be running.

1. Enter the following macro code in a new module sheet:

         Sub Using_DDE1()
   
         ' Dimension the variables.
         Dim Chan As Integer
         Dim RequestItems As Variant
   
         ' Start a channel to Word using the System topic.
         Chan = DDEInitiate("WinWord", "System")
   
         ' Requesting information from Word using the Formats item
         ' this will return a one dimensional array.
         RequestItems = DDERequest(Chan, "Formats")
   
         ' Uses a FOR loop to cycle through the array and display in a message box.
         For i = LBound(RequestItems) To UBound(RequestItems)
   
             MsgBox RequestItems(i)
   
         Next i
   
         ' Terminate the DDE channel.
         DDETerminate Chan
   
         End Sub
   						

2. Run the "Using_DDE1" macro.

A series of message boxes will be displayed with each of the available format types in Microsoft Word.

Macro Example 2:

NOTE: To use this example, Microsoft Word must be running.

1. Save a Microsoft Word document, called ddetest.doc to the root of drive C.
2. Open a new Microsoft Excel workbook and in Sheet1, cell A1, enter hello.
3. Enter the following macro code into a new module sheet in this workbook:

         Sub Using_DDE2()
   
         ' Dimension the variables.
         Dim PokeRange As Object
         Dim Chan As Integer
   
         ' Create an range object to poke.
         Set PokeRange = Range("Sheet1!a1")
   
         ' Initiate a channel to Word using a file as the topic.
         Chan = DDEInitiate("WinWord", "c:\ddetest.doc")
   
         ' Execute a few WordBasic commands.
         DDEExecute Chan, "[FileNewDefault]"
         DDEExecute Chan, "[InsertPara]"
         DDEExecute Chan, "[InsertPara]"
   
         ' Pokes the data in A1 into ddetest.doc.
         ' This is not poked into the active document.
         ' The data is placed in the topic that started the DDE conversation.
         ' \StartOfDoc is a predefined bookmark in Word.
         DDEPoke Chan, "\StartOfDoc", PokeRange
   
         ' Terminate the DDE channel.
         DDETerminate Chan
   
         End Sub
   						

4. Run the "Using_DDE2" macro.
5. Open the ddetest.doc document in Microsoft Word.
   
   NOTE: The word "hello" (without the quotation marks) is added to the beginning of the document.

For more information about DDE, in the Visual Basic Editor, click Microsoft Visual Basic Help on the Help menu, type DDE in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.