ekelly@vax1.tcd.ie (02/23/90)
I am debating about subscribing to MicroSoft OnLine. Could I have opinions please about its usefulness? Is there anyone out there using it from Dublin who would be willing to talk about it over the phone? I am trying to develop an application to communicate with Excel using DDE. I have doubts about the completeness of the documentation as despite using the SDK and Excel manuals I cannot interpret the contents of the message block coming from Excel. I hope OnLine will help, but it is an expensive gamble to take sight unseen. Eamon Kelly EKELLY@vax1.tcd.ie
vpsingha@athena.mit.edu (Vivek P. Singhal) (02/24/90)
In article <5775.25e520e8@vax1.tcd.ie> ekelly@vax1.tcd.ie writes: >I am debating about subscribing to MicroSoft OnLine. >Could I have opinions please about its usefulness? To a large degree, the usefulness of Microsoft Online depends on how you use it. It is an excellent source of sample source code, late breaking bug fixes and updates, and information about Microsoft's system software. However, they won't be able to solve every single technical problem you may have, though they can usually point you in the right direction. If your development heavily depends on the use of Microsoft products, it is quite essential for the serious developer. I've heard complaints about the cost of subscribing to OnLine; however, in many cases OnLine can pay for itself if is helps to solve even one major roadblock. Moreover, the software used to access the service is batch-oriented, helping to cut down on the hourly cost of the service. One of its most valuable features is the the ability to submit service requests about development problems you may have. Since you assign the priority of the S.R., you have some control over how long it will take to get a response. Granted, for some problems you can get free help from UseNet or Genie readers, but with an OnLine S.R, you're guaranteed that someone will at least address your problem. >I am trying to develop an application to communicate with Excel using DDE. I >have doubts about the completeness of the documentation as despite >using the SDK and Excel manuals I cannot interpret the contents of >the message block coming from Excel. I hope OnLine will help, but it >is an expensive gamble to take sight unseen. As I recall, the OnLine Software Library had a developer's kit for writing windows applications that communicated with Excel via DDE. I don't know how useful it will be to you, but at least it's a starting point. Hope this helps, Vivek Disclaimer: I'm not associated w/ Microsoft, just a satisfied user. -- _____________________________________________________________________________ | Vivek Singhal: vpsingha@athena.mit.edu 474 Memorial Drive | | (617) 621-0405 Cambridge, MA 02139 | |___________________________________________________________________________|
balaji@nsc.nsc.com (Balaji Pitchaikani) (02/27/90)
In article <5775.25e520e8@vax1.tcd.ie> ekelly@vax1.tcd.ie writes: >I am debating about subscribing to MicroSoft OnLine. >Could I have opinions please about its usefulness? I am also debating on the issue! What do subscribers feel about OnLine Service. Is it VALUE FOR MONEY? >Eamon Kelly balaji (balaji@nsc.nsc.com)