HP 3000 Manuals HP 3000 Manuals
Chapter 11 Application Data Passing HP Desk allows you to integrate your own applications into it so that you can pass data between your application and HP Desk. Application Data Passing (sometimes also known as the "Application Umbrella") is to allow the user of an application program and the application program itself to gain access to HP Desk. The application must be run from within HP Desk (that is HP Desk runs it as a son process). The user works in the application most of the time, and occasionally the application to return to HP Desk, perhaps to read new mail or to retrieve a document, before resuming the application once again. The application can access some HP Desk items itself without the user becoming involved. It can also put new items into the HP Desk database without user intervention. The simple integration of an application into HP Desk can be achieved by making the application available to users through the Applications Area. Users access it by simply typing in the name of the program. This is implemented using HP Desk abbreviations. (See Chapter 8 for more information on abbreviations.) More complex integration means that an application undergoes code changes to support HP Desk's programming environment. The programming changes needed are relatively straightforward, but the benefit gained in usability is tremendous. This chapter details all the information you will need to know to be able to successfully write your own applications to communicate with HP Desk.