Using the Display Interface

API Properties

The API Properties dialog is used to configure BlueZone to work with external programs.  To launch the API Properties dialog, go to the BlueZone MenuBar, and select Options:API.

Typical applications that use BlueZone's API interface use a HLLAPI interface to communicate with BlueZone.  In order for BlueZone to communicate with a HLLAPI application via BlueZone's DDE Interface, you must enable BlueZone's DDE Interface.

STEP-BY-STEP  How to Configure BlueZone to Work with a HLLAPI Application

Options Tab

The API (Application Program Interface) Properties, Options tab allows the configuration of DDE and HLLAPI items.

Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) ----

The Dynamic Data Exchange Group is used to configure DDE operating parameters.

• Enable DDE Interface: Enable to allow the BlueZone session to function as a DDE Server.  DDE client applications can communicate with DDE servers to exchange data.  This option must be enabled in order for BlueZone to communicate with HLLAPI client applications.

• Server / Service Name: Displays the Server / Service Name as “BlueZone”.

• Topic Name: Displays the session’s DDE Topic Name.  The Topic Name can be changed by configuring the HLLAPI Short Name Session Identifier.

• Enable Network DDE Initialization: If checked, BlueZone will modify registry settings and invoke NETDDE.EXE to enable DDE client applications to communicate with BlueZone over a Local Area Network (LAN).

NOTE  Only use this option when the HLLAPI application is on a computer separate from the computer that BlueZone is running on.

• DDE Share: Displays the DDE Share Name that NETDDE uses to establish a DDE connection over the Local Area Network(LAN).

High Level Language API (HLLAPI) ----

The High Level Language API group is used to configure HLLAPI operating parameters.

• Short Name Session Identifier: Used to set the HLLAPI identifier for the BlueZone session.  The HLLAPI Short Name Session Identifier is also used as the DDE Topic Name.

• Session Long Name: Used to set the HLLAPI description name for the BlueZone session.

• Auto Assign HLLAPI Names ('A' for S1, 'B' for S2, etc.): If enabled, BlueZone will automatically associate the Short Name Identifier to a session number 'A' for S1, 'B' for S2 and so on.

• Auto-Launch the BlueZone DOS HLLAPI Redirector: If enabled, BlueZone will run/close the BlueZone DOS HLLAPI Redirector program each time the BlueZone DDE Server initializes/deinitializes.

• Allow Multiple Simultaneous Connections: - If enabled, the BlueZone HLLAPI will allow connection requests from a single application tread to the same BlueZone session as long as it is using the same HLLAPI Short Name Session Identifier.  If disabled (default), the session will only allow multiple simultaneous connections to its presentation space if the first HLLAPI application connecting had specified WRITE_WRITE when calling HLLAPI SetSessionParameters.

Trace Tab

The API Properties, Trace tab allows the user to trace problems encountered while using the DDE and HLLAPI interfaces. To get to this option, click Options:API from the main MenuBar and bring the Trace tab to the foreground.

Trace Options ----

The Trace Options group is used to create API trace files.

• Trace DDE Interface: Enable to trace DDE conversation transactions.

• Trace HLLAPI Interface: Enable to trace HLLAPI function calls and return values.

• Trace RUI Interface: Enable to trace RUI conversation transactions.

• Trace File: Used to specify a trace file name for API tracing.

• Browse: Displays a dialog used to select the directory and file name.  BlueZone provides a Traces directory in the BlueZone installation directory.

CAUTION!  This must be a valid path or the trace feature will not work.

• Start Trace: Used to start the API trace.

• Stop Trace: Used to stop the API trace.