RE: VB, QTI's DLL's and TS2000i

["Robert Hodge" <r-hodge@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I am no particular expert but i have programmed VB and did use Hashnumbs
some time ago for EOD data use only.

I think you're polling idea is basically the way forward...although unless
your VB code is particularly long executing I'm not sure TS will also
require a flag variable after you have first flagged to VB to do something
for you.

The second way is not possible in VB for the simple reason that VB does not
create ordinary DLLs that TS can use. VB DLLs all use the ActiveX (aka OLE)
framework for interprocess communication. A VB DLL can only be used by a
"container" application which understands ActiveX and implements the
container side of the ActiveX framework. At least, that's my understanding.

TS does not support the use of ActiveX DLLs via Easylanguage.

However, both Delphi and Powerbasic can create ordinary DLLs which can be
used by Tradestation. So perhaps you might want to consider one of them
instead of the

TS -> DLL -> VB(stand-alone application) -> DLL -> TS

However, I've no idea how to do that in practice and can't help you any
further down that route.

Regards,

Robert


-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Cerar [mailto:marQc@xxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: 07 May 2001 18:01
To: Omega List
Subject: VB, QTI's DLL's and TS2000i


Has anyone on the list used Quality Trading Innovation's Hashnums32 or
QlsNumbs32 DLL's to interface a Visual Basic program with Tradestation
2000i.  If so, does the VB, DLL, TS 2000i combination work well?  Is it
stable and reliable?

I would also like to know how the 3 programs work together?  For example, I
know the DLL uses a client-server configuration and TS or any other 32 Bit
program can call DLL function's in order to pass data back and forth (I have
HashNumbs), but how would you pass data in the following manner:

	TS -> DLL -> VB -> DLL -> TS

One way I can think of doing this might be to have the VB program polling
some kind of flag variable. The sequence might go something like this: the
TS system fires at the end of the bar, it passes it's data to the DLL, sets
a "flag" variable to True. The VB program, which is constantly polling the
flag variable, would fire when it's value is True.  Of course this would
have to work in reverse also with TS similary polling another flag variable
in order to control the execution of the rest of it's system code.  However,
this seems rather convoluted and wasteful of processor cycles.

Another way might be to somehow execute the VB program from within TS.
However, I am only a beginner VB programmer which brings me to my final
request:  perhaps somebody on this list might have a reference for a good
book/magazine/article/web site that explains VB DLL's, how they work and how
to write them etc.?

I would turn to the creator of these DLL's but he states the following in
his product literature so I'm turning to any generous souls on this list
with the requisite knowledge for help:

	Please refer to the appropriate language documentation
	for using DLL's. I cannot provide any support for
	doing this (writing programs in C/C++ or Visual Basic that
	use the DLL to communicate with Tradestation). Using DLL's
	in this manner requires a certain level of programming
	experience and the wrong usage may detrimentally affect
	your system.