Overview of project management tools
Configuring the DDE Interface with Microsoft Project
Enabling the MS Project button
Initializing a Microsoft Project file
Activities and the DDE Interface with Microsoft Project
Using DDE with Other Project Management Applications
Configuring the Export Function
Tivoli Change Management provides a one way DDE interface with Microsoft Project. This chapter describes the processes of initialization, data exchange, and termination of the DDE links when you work with changes, and also describes how to set up a DDE interface if you use a project-management application other than Microsoft Project.
Tivoli Change Management also provides export functionality you can use to export change, rule, and model data, then import it into your selected project management tool. This functionality is in the form of an Export button.
The following sections describe the DDE link and explain how to configure it for your environment. You can use the DDE interface with other project management tools, but the instructions contained in this chapter are specific to Microsoft Project.
Communication between Tivoli Change Management and Microsoft Project is performed through the Tivoli Change Management window. Even though the data is for a change and the MS Project button is located in the Change dialog box, messages flow through the Tivoli Change Management window.
The Tivoli Change Management window processes the following from Microsoft Project:
Variable | Type | Description |
R_G_MainDDEWindow | WINDOW | Window handle to Main DDE Window |
R_G_DDEWindow | WINDOW | Window handle to Microsoft Project system |
R_G_DDEChangeWindow | WINDOW | Window handle to Change Dialog that started the DDE Link |
R_G_ProjDDEWindow | WINDOW | Window handle to a specific Microsoft Project |
G_DDETopicList | LIST OF EE_DDE_TOPIC_REC | List of current topics (Microsoft Project Files). Used when subprojects encountered. |
G_DDETimerAmount | INTEGER | Timer interval for DDERequest send to Microsoft Project. |
R_G_DDEDelay | INTEGER | Delay in milliseconds between DDE commands sent to Microsoft Project. Microsoft Project does not queue commands sent to it. |
The MS Project button is enabled upon creation of the Change dialog box. If the Microsoft Project application is found, a DDEInitiate() is issued. Microsoft Project then sends a $MsgDDEInitAcknowledge message to the Tivoli Change Management window, setting the R_G_DDEWindow.
Any $MsgDDEInitAcknowledge received after this is processed as a Microsoft Project file. This project in the G_DDETopicList is assigned the $DDEWindow handle.
The following events occur when a user chooses the MS Project button:
R_DDEStatusMessage() is called to perform the following:
R_InitializeProjectSchedulerDDE() performs the following:
Microsoft Project does not queue DDE comments that are sent to it; therefore, the DDE delay is needed after every command sent to Microsoft Project. If this value in the preference setting is too small, Microsoft Project ignores any statements sent to it while processing a DDE command. The DDE Delay is set in the Preferences tab of the Tivoli Change Management Application dialog box. You can increase the DDE delay if data is not being updated as expected.Messages Processed by the Main Window.
As mentioned earlier in this chapter, DDE messages (including the DDE timer) are received by the Tivoli Change Management window ). The following table lists the DDE messages received by the window.
Message | Description |
$MsgTimer | When this message is received, Tivoli Change Management sends a DDERequest to Microsoft Project asking for the tasks, resources, and resource assignments for each change/activity. |
$MsgDDEInitAcknowledge | This message is received when Microsoft Project accepts the Tivoli Change Management DDE initialize request. The first time this message is received, it is for the window handle to Microsoft Project. Any subsequent messages received are for individual window handles of Microsoft Project files. |
$MsgDDEAcknowledge | This message is received when a DDEInitialize is sent to Microsoft Project. If the status is negative, then Microsoft Project could not complete the DDE link. |
$MsgDDETerminate | This message is received when Microsoft Project terminates the DDE link. All DDE links are then removed. |
If a change has an activity, the activity is treated as a subproject in Microsoft Project. When the link to Microsoft Project is established, Tivoli Change Management creates the subprojects before creating the change. The true use of the G_DDETopicList comes into work here. All of the projects and subprojects are stored in the G_DDETopicList. When the $MsgTimer is received, the G_DDETopicList is read and information for each subproject and change is requested.
To use Tivoli Change Management with project management applications other than Microsoft Project, you need to do the following:
You must also remove any calls to R_StartDDETimer() and R_StopDDETimer().
You can configure Tivoli Change Management to enable users to export data to a file.
This function appears on the Tasks tab of the Change dialog box. You can then import this
file into a project management application. This feature is useful if you do not use
Microsoft Project, and you do not want to establish a DDE link with your project
management tool.
To allow users to export data to a file, you must configure the Export button that appears
in Tivoli Change Management.
To configure the Export function
DlgSetHidden(w,'sc_Export_Button',TRUE);