Oracle DDE Manager and Excel

I thought I'd resurrect a product that's been gathering dust on our shelves titled "Oracle for Windows DDE Manager" and use it to interface to some Excel spreadsheets dependent on data residing on a remote database.

It sets up fine - I'm able to create a remote reference in a cell and extract data as expected. Problem is, I can't figure out the syntax (if there is any) to make the query dependent on an Excel cell reference.

   i.e. something along the lines of:

      select description from parts where partno = $A$1

The manual very carefully avoids this subject, its examples relying on canned queries or values "hard-coded" into the query itself. This seems like such an incredibly useful thing to be able to do, I would have thought the manual would at least make reference to whether its possible or not.

Has anyone had any experience with this product who can confirm whether such a feat can be accomplished? Otherwise, I suspect the box will be going back on the shelf and serve as nesting material for the vermin.

Kevin J. Lukes  Programmer/Analyst   |  klukes_at_novatel.ca
NovAtel Communications Ltd.          |  (403)295-4573
Calgary, Alberta CANADA              |  "Opinions expressed are my own"


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    What a tangled web we weave, when multiple platforms we conceive