I'm trying to set up a DDE link between an ifix server and excel. My customer would like to be able to print out a spreadsheet of most recent process data for taking to meetings and other reference opportunities. I've not done this before and have read info from microsoft and Ifix but I have yet to get a successful connection made. Ifix and excel are on the same computer.

 

Throughout the industry, DDE link has been replaced by OPC (www.opcfoundation.org). In order for the DDE link to work, you would have to have all the applications open and running (Excel, iFIX). It would require your writing a program to open Excel, link to all the DDE, print a report and close Excel. In our experience, after spending quite a bit of time writing code, it often leaves people unhappy; i.e. production people closing down one of the applications in the middle causing it not to work, etc.

In addition to looking into OPC at the above link, you are also welcome to look at XLReporter (www.TheReportCompany.com) because it was built for this very purpose. You/your customer would still use Excel as the "design studio" to make the templates so there would be nothing new to learn. Also, it has an interface to iFIX already built in. Reports could be generated manually or automatically (upon event or time)and any previous built Excel files could be used.

 

Use Excel reporter in conjunction with iFIX.

http://www.matrikonanalytics.com/products/excel-reporter.aspx

Hope this is helpful
Wassim Daoud
Global Solutions Architect