Contents:  This file contains two code fragments that show how to 
open a DDE conversation with Nova for Windows usin Visual Basic.  
The first file is by Pablo Garcia and the second is by
Dave Lamont.  

We appreciate their willingness to release this information. 


/********** CODE FOR INTERFACING WITH NOVA DDE SERVER**************/
/************* by Pablo GARCIA - EA4TX ********************/
Create a New VB Projet
In a VB Form Include a TEXT BOX and a BUTTON CONTROL
The TEXT BOX is named: Text1
The BUTTON CONTROL is named: CmdOpenNovaDDE

When the user clicks on the BUTTON Control, the following code is executed.
This is just the necesary code to interface with the Nova DDE Interface

Private Sub CmdOpenNovaDDE_Click()

    Dim Ret As Integer

    ' if there is any error, the program will jump to this label
    On Error GoTo DDE_Nova_Error

    ' I verify the Link is closed
    Text1.LinkMode = 0
    ' I define the Aplication Name and Topic
    Text1.LinkTopic = "NFW32|NFW_DATA"
    ' I define the Item Name
    Text1.LinkItem = "NFW_SERVER"
    ' I Open the Nova DDE Interface as Automatic Mode
    Text1.LinkMode = 1

    ' I send the "TUNE ON Command to the NOVA DDE Server
    Text1.Text = "TUNE ON"
    ' Transmite the previous message to the DDE Server
    Text1.LinkPoke
    ' All is Ok so I exit the Sub Procedure
    Exit Sub

DDE_Nova_Error:
    ' If the DDE Interface failed, maybe Nova is not loaded
    ' or the AutoTracking Status Box is not displayed in NfW.
    ' At "Err.description" I get the Error Description and I Display it

    Ret = MsgBox("Error Opening the Nova DDE interface, Error: " &
Err.Description, vbCritical, "Nova DDE Error")

    ' I clear the Error and exit Sub
    Err.Clear

End Sub

/********* CODE FOR INTERFACING WITH NOVA DDE SERVER - END************/

--------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------  Code below is by Dave Lamont -------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------

 Begin VB.Label lbl_Nova_dde 
      BackColor       =   &H0000FFFF&
      Caption         =   "nova dde"
      BeginProperty Font 
         Name            =   "Arial"
         Size            =   8.25
         Charset         =   0
         Weight          =   700
         Underline       =   0   'False
         Italic          =   0   'False
         Strikethrough   =   0   'False
      EndProperty
      Height          =   270
      Left            =   1680
      LinkItem        =   "NFW_SERVER"
      LinkTopic       =   "NFW32|NFW_DATA"
      TabIndex        =   62
      Top             =   420
      Visible         =   0   'False
      Width           =   645
   End
   

   
   
   Private Sub send_dde_Click()
On Error GoTo fixx
send_dde.LinkMode = 2
send_dde.Text = "TUNE ON"
send_dde.LinkPoke
send_dde.LinkMode = 0
Exit Sub
fixx:
NL$ = Chr$(13) + Chr$(10)
msg$ = "            The NOVA program called NFW32.EXE" + NL$
msg$ = msg$ + "                   is not running or installed." + NL$ + NL$
MsgBox (msg$)
End
End Sub


Public Sub lbl_Nova_dde_Click()

' This event is called by the main UNI_TRAC program loop
'on demand by a statement

 lbl_Nova_dde_Click
 
' The properties of the event with respect to NOVA in the
'Visual Basic 6 environment are

'LinkItem   NFW-SERVER
'LinkTopic  NFW32|NFW_DATA

Dim novlen As Integer
Dim aax(10)

lbl_Nova_dde.LinkMode = 2 '2 =manual. i.e. get DDE by program manipulation
lbl_Nova_dde.LinkRequest  'ask for latest DDE information from Nova

tmp = lbl_Nova_dde.Caption ' DDE from Nova appears as string here

novlen = Len(lbl_Nova_dde.Caption)

If novlen > 10 Then
    aax(1) = InStr(1, lbl_Nova_dde.Caption, "AZ") + 3
    aax(2) = InStr(1, lbl_Nova_dde.Caption, "EL") + 3
    aax(3) = InStr(1, lbl_Nova_dde.Caption, "RR") + 3
    satel$ = Trim(Left(lbl_Nova_dde.Caption, (aax(1) - 4)))
End If

End Sub