Integration of your own GUI objects, data exchange and automation of applications under Microsoft Windows.
Key features
- Use IDM dialogs and applications as OLE servers or OLE clients.
- Integration of COM, OLE, ActiveX and .NET controls in IDM applications.
- Data exchange between IDM applications and other applications, for example Office applications.
- Automate processes by controlling IDM applications and other applications.
- Generation of the necessary interface descriptions for IDM applications that serve as OLE servers.
Usage
The OLE interface allows your IDM applications to work with other Windows applications and components that support the Component Object Model (COM). This includes Office applications such as Microsoft Word and Excel, Windows programs such as Internet Explorer, OLE controls (OCX) and ActiveX controls, as well as components and applications that are based on the .NET framework. The OLE interface can be used to exchange data, control applications and integrate GUI objects into a user interface. IDM applications can serve as a client (container) and server (component).
IDM dialog as client
As an OLE client, an IDM application can control other Windows applications and components. This allows you to use features of other applications in your IDM application. Your IDM dialog can serve as a container into which you can embed your own GUI objects or special GUI elements that other applications provide (for example, a media playback element).
IDM dialog as server
If your IDM dialog serves as an OLE server, you can display it as a component within the UI of another Windows application. Your dialog can make data and functions available to other applications. This makes it possible to control the dialogue from outside.
Functions
For an OLE client that you develop with the ISA Dialog Manager, you access functions of the server in the same way that you access custom methods of IDM objects. The ISA Dialog Manager automatically tries to call the function on the server if no corresponding method is defined on the client. This makes using the server's functions transparent and just as easy as using methods within a dialog.
You use the “message” resource to define the events that an OLE server that you develop with IDM can send. An OLE client developed with the ISA Dialog Manager can respond to such events by processing them as external events.
If you develop an OLE server using the ISA Dialog Manager, you can use the IDM to generate the description of its interface in the Interface Definition Language (IDL) and a registration file. These two files are required to register the server as a component in Microsoft Windows.
Availability
The OLE interface is available as an option for the basic licenses of the Windows versions of the ISA Dialog Manager. It can be used to develop IDM applications that serve as OLE clients or servers.
Training courses
For the OLE interface we offer the course OLE Interface . It covers both developing IDM dialogs that can be integrated into other applications as OLE servers, as well as developing OLE clients that can integrate other components using the ISA Dialog Manager.
Services
We are happy to support you with our graphical user interface development and application development services in designing and implementing individual components for the user interfaces of your applications, embedding your IDM dialogs in other applications, or integrating other applications into your user interface.
