mr_johnson22

I'm 100% new to Max, so I'm sorry if this is a basic question, but for a project I was hired to do, I'm supposed to create a Max program that imports ASCII data from a DDE server (from another program called MT4) and turn it into sound.

I'm pretty sure I can find a way to convert the ASCII into sound on my own, so I won't bother anyone with that. But I have a feeling importing the data will be a lot tougher. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to import data from a program into Max in real time?

importing-data-from-dde-server

Well, turns out I wound up finishing this patcher (special thanks to driftpattern!), but didn't use the data from the DDE directly. I'd like to know if there's a more direct way of getting DDE data.

How the data is sent right now is that I have one program open, a stock-exchange program called MT4, which sends numerical data through a DDE server. Excel is specifically recommended by that program to be a recipient of the data sent by the DDE. For instance, to receive info on the value of a stock with symbol EURCADX, I type into a cell's formula box MT4|BID!EURCADX. My patcher writes an Excel file with the appropriate formulas, but then the Excel file has to be open and saved every second i order to receive the DDE data and have it read by Max.

Is there a more direct way of getting the DDE data? Like, could the formulas I use in Excel also be used in Max somehow?

Importing Data from DDE Server?