Creating client for FrameMaker 8 using C++

I can't provide all of the necessary code, but you should be able to make some progress with the following info ..

1) Create the MFC DLL and provide an "exported" function that will be called from your FDK code. I believe that there are a number of ways to do this, but I do it by adding the function name to the EXPORTS section of the project's DEF file.

2) Add the RunDllFunction (below) to your FDK project. You'll need to tweak this function to accommodate the parameters you want to pass from the FDK code to the external DLL. You also need to change the function callback prototype (line that starts with "typedef int") and the actual function call("lpfnDllFunc1") so the parameter number and types all match.

Give it a whirl and see how it goes. :)

...scott

//=================================================
IntT
RunDllFunction(StringT dllFile, StringT dllFunction, StringT paramOne, StringT paramTwo, IntT paramThree)
{
typedef int (CALLBACK* LPFNDLLFUNC1)(LPTSTR, LPTSTR, int);
int ret = 0;
if (Pt_FileExists(dllFile)) {
LPFNDLLFUNC1 lpfnDllFunc1;
HINSTANCE hGetProcIDDLL = LoadLibrary(dllFile);
if (hGetProcIDDLL) {
lpfnDllFunc1 = (LPFNDLLFUNC1)GetProcAddress(hGetProcIDDLL, dllFunction);
if (lpfnDllFunc1) {
ret = lpfnDllFunc1(paramOne, paramTwo, paramThree);
}
FreeLibrary(hGetProcIDDLL);
}
else {
F_Printf(NULL, "ERROR: Unable to load DLL! [%s]\n", dllFile);
}
}
else {
F_Printf(NULL, "ERROR: Unable to locate DLL! [%s]\n", dllFile);
}
return ret;
}
//=================================================

Hi scott,
I'm new to FDK and VC++ programming, If you have any sample code can you send me by mail. It would be most helpful and greatly appreciated.

Thanks
karthik
rkarthik27@gmail.com

Hi Scott,

This is a very interesting approach. I am in the early stages of getting up to speed with the FDK myself and have been wrestling with how to implement FMC code.

The FDK documentation contains a chapter that implies the only way to interact with MFC code is to create a DDE server and pass messages between the FDK and the external application.

Am I correct to assume that your approach gets around the need to implement a DDE server? Any additional details you can pass along would be most helpful and appreciated,

Martin R. Smith
martin.smith@golehtek.com

The FDK is a "C" library. I believe that it may be possible to use these functions in C++ code, but I have not seen examples of this. When I need to make calls to C++ (MFC) code, I develop that code as a separate DLL and make calls to the exported functions using LoadLibrary calls.

Cheers,

...scott