Please enable JavaScript to view this site.

ESL Release Notes

ESL Inter-Process Communication Library

The library "ESLIPC.DLL" and its associated include file contains all the routines required to launch, establish a conversation and communicate with a process. The process can be written in any language that is able to handle Window Messages. User defined messages and WM_COPYDATA are used. Additionally, it is possible to launch a process, and pass the handle of an ESL control or region, so that it is overlaid by the partner process' window.

Due to the processing of marshaled data, the processing of every copy data message must as quick as possible, so it is recommended that message data is copied into the partner application's address space, then control returned to the ESL application's thread. The ESL Inter-Process Communication library, performs this copying of data sent from the partner application, before posting a message to invoke the required response block.

Using the ESLIPC library opens the possibility of access standard Office applications, such as Outlook, as well as many other Open Source facilities. To demonstrate some of the potential, the following samples have been provided:

Email

Send emails via Outlook or directly via an SMTP server. Data can be merged with templates and, if required, previewed before sending.

StockPrice

Obtains stock information from the internet and displays it in an ESL table control or alternatively display information by overlaying the table control with a window from the partner VB application.