Sharing single instance of Activex DLL

[Ed]

I have an application (NotesManager) that runs in the background and another
app (TimeTracker) that doesn't but they both have to get information (login,
username, permissions) from a Login ActiveX DLL I made. Is there away to
share the DLL info, so that if NotesManager is already logged in TimeTracker
can get the username and permissions from NotesManger through the DLL? So
if a user starts NotesManager and it uses the DLL and the instance of the
DLL was the properties like username="Les Claypool" and Permissions="Admin"
then when he starts TimeTracker it just checks if he is already logged in
and uses the same info already in DLL instance in NotesManager (so it doesn't
have to log in again)?

I though about just writing the current user info to the registry temporarily
but it would have to pass the username and password and I'd rather not have
that visible anywhere even encrypted.

[L.J. Johnson]

Ed,

Couple of thoughts:

(1) Make both apps ActiveX exe -- whoever started second could query whoever
started first
(2) Use sockets -- same idea as above -- when app starts, queries a custom
socket to see if the other app is running
(3) Use a memory-mapped file, mapped to the pagefile, not a physical disk
file. I'd still encrypt it, but should be fairly safe.

--
L.J. Johnson, Slightly Tilted Software
Microsoft MVP (Visual Basic)
LJJohnson@SlightlyTiltedSoftware.com or LJJohnson@mvps.org
<http://www.SlightlyTiltedSoftware.com>
Ask The NT Pro at <http://www.devx.com/gethelp>

"Ed" <edneeis@msn.com> wrote in message news:3af818a4$1@news.devx.com...
>
> I have an application (NotesManager) that runs in the background and
another
> app (TimeTracker) that doesn't but they both have to get information
(login,
> username, permissions) from a Login ActiveX DLL I made. Is there away to
> share the DLL info, so that if NotesManager is already logged in
TimeTracker
> can get the username and permissions from NotesManger through the DLL? So
> if a user starts NotesManager and it uses the DLL and the instance of the
> DLL was the properties like username="Les Claypool" and
Permissions="Admin"
> then when he starts TimeTracker it just checks if he is already logged in
> and uses the same info already in DLL instance in NotesManager (so it
doesn't
> have to log in again)?
>
> I though about just writing the current user info to the registry
temporarily
> but it would have to pass the username and password and I'd rather not
have
> that visible anywhere even encrypted.

[Ed]

I thought of the sockets way, but figured I'd check for something better.
So an ActiveX exe can share its info but a DLL can't is that it? I don't
quite get option 3??? Thanks for the help.

"L.J. Johnson" <LJJohnson@SlightlyTiltedSoftware.com> wrote:
>Ed,
>
>Couple of thoughts:
>
>(1) Make both apps ActiveX exe -- whoever started second could query whoever
>started first
>(2) Use sockets -- same idea as above -- when app starts, queries a custom
>socket to see if the other app is running
>(3) Use a memory-mapped file, mapped to the pagefile, not a physical disk
>file. I'd still encrypt it, but should be fairly safe.
>
>--
>L.J. Johnson, Slightly Tilted Software
>Microsoft MVP (Visual Basic)
>LJJohnson@SlightlyTiltedSoftware.com or LJJohnson@mvps.org
><http://www.SlightlyTiltedSoftware.com>
>Ask The NT Pro at <http://www.devx.com/gethelp>
>
>"Ed" <edneeis@msn.com> wrote in message news:3af818a4$1@news.devx.com...
>>
>> I have an application (NotesManager) that runs in the background and
>another
>> app (TimeTracker) that doesn't but they both have to get information
>(login,
>> username, permissions) from a Login ActiveX DLL I made. Is there away
to
>> share the DLL info, so that if NotesManager is already logged in
>TimeTracker
>> can get the username and permissions from NotesManger through the DLL?
So
>> if a user starts NotesManager and it uses the DLL and the instance of
the
>> DLL was the properties like username="Les Claypool" and
>Permissions="Admin"
>> then when he starts TimeTracker it just checks if he is already logged
in
>> and uses the same info already in DLL instance in NotesManager (so it
>doesn't
>> have to log in again)?
>>
>> I though about just writing the current user info to the registry
>temporarily
>> but it would have to pass the username and password and I'd rather not
>have
>> that visible anywhere even encrypted.
>
>

[Willy Van den Driessche]

I think the DLL thing is logical. It runs in-process and each EXE gets its
own copy of all global variables.
I'm not quite sure about the activeX EXE option either because I think threading
issues could make the activeX EXE global variables per-thread, which is not
quite what you want either.
As far as I know, Currlands book suggests putting the object in the ROT (Running
object table). We are currently trying this approach and I will post the
results here later if you're interested.

"Ed" <edneeis@msn.com> wrote:
>
>I thought of the sockets way, but figured I'd check for something better.
> So an ActiveX exe can share its info but a DLL can't is that it? I don't
>quite get option 3??? Thanks for the help.
>
>"L.J. Johnson" <LJJohnson@SlightlyTiltedSoftware.com> wrote:
>>Ed,
>>
>>Couple of thoughts:
>>
>>(1) Make both apps ActiveX exe -- whoever started second could query whoever
>>started first
>>(2) Use sockets -- same idea as above -- when app starts, queries a custom
>>socket to see if the other app is running
>>(3) Use a memory-mapped file, mapped to the pagefile, not a physical disk
>>file. I'd still encrypt it, but should be fairly safe.
>>
>>--
>>L.J. Johnson, Slightly Tilted Software
>>Microsoft MVP (Visual Basic)
>>LJJohnson@SlightlyTiltedSoftware.com or LJJohnson@mvps.org
>><http://www.SlightlyTiltedSoftware.com>
>>Ask The NT Pro at <http://www.devx.com/gethelp>
>>
>>"Ed" <edneeis@msn.com> wrote in message news:3af818a4$1@news.devx.com...
>>>
>>> I have an application (NotesManager) that runs in the background and
>>another
>>> app (TimeTracker) that doesn't but they both have to get information
>>(login,
>>> username, permissions) from a Login ActiveX DLL I made. Is there away
>to
>>> share the DLL info, so that if NotesManager is already logged in
>>TimeTracker
>>> can get the username and permissions from NotesManger through the DLL?
> So
>>> if a user starts NotesManager and it uses the DLL and the instance of
>the
>>> DLL was the properties like username="Les Claypool" and
>>Permissions="Admin"
>>> then when he starts TimeTracker it just checks if he is already logged
>in
>>> and uses the same info already in DLL instance in NotesManager (so it
>>doesn't
>>> have to log in again)?
>>>
>>> I though about just writing the current user info to the registry
>>temporarily
>>> but it would have to pass the username and password and I'd rather not
>>have
>>> that visible anywhere even encrypted.
>>
>>
>

[Paul Clement]

On 9 May 2001 03:48:59 -0700, "Willy Van den Driessche" <Willy.van.den.driessche@skynet.be> wrote:

¤
¤ I think the DLL thing is logical. It runs in-process and each EXE gets its
¤ own copy of all global variables.

¤ I'm not quite sure about the activeX EXE option either because I think threading
¤ issues could make the activeX EXE global variables per-thread, which is not
¤ quite what you want either.
¤ As far as I know, Currlands book suggests putting the object in the ROT (Running
¤ object table). We are currently trying this approach and I will post the
¤ results here later if you're interested.
¤

With respect to the ActiveX DLL, a distinct instance is mapped into each process so there is no
feasible possibility of sharing data here. The ActiveX EXE offers a better solution because a single
(shared) instance can run out-of-process. The only issue is the one of the intrinsic single
threading you mentioned in the case where method calls from other process can be blocked.

There are ways to work around the ActiveX EXE issues however.


Paul ~~~ pclement@ameritech.net
Microsoft MVP (Visual Basic)

[Paul Clement]

On 9 May 2001 03:48:59 -0700, "Willy Van den Driessche" <Willy.van.den.driessche@skynet.be> wrote:

¤
¤ I think the DLL thing is logical. It runs in-process and each EXE gets its
¤ own copy of all global variables.
¤ I'm not quite sure about the activeX EXE option either because I think threading
¤ issues could make the activeX EXE global variables per-thread, which is not
¤ quite what you want either.
¤ As far as I know, Currlands book suggests putting the object in the ROT (Running
¤ object table). We are currently trying this approach and I will post the
¤ results here later if you're interested.
¤
¤ "Ed" <edneeis@msn.com> wrote:

The Curland methods were those I was referring to. I have his book (even though I haven't read it)
and my understanding is that there are multi-threading mechanisms that he has implemented.

I think it also depends on what you are doing exactly. You can also create asynchronous notification
events - this is covered in the Visual Basic documentation. The CoffeeMonitor component is an
example where an ActiveX EXE can be shared.

Hope this helps.

Paul
~~~~
pclement@ameritech.net



Paul ~~~ pclement@ameritech.net
Microsoft MVP (Visual Basic)

[Ed]

Thanks I am reading the CoffeMonitor example and it looks like this is what
I want. Thanks again.

Paul Clement <UseAdddressAtEndofMessage@swspectrum.com> wrote:
>On 9 May 2001 03:48:59 -0700, "Willy Van den Driessche" <Willy.van.den.driessche@skynet.be>
>wrote:
>
>¤
>¤ I think the DLL thing is logical. It runs in-process and each EXE gets
its
>¤ own copy of all global variables.
>¤ I'm not quite sure about the activeX EXE option either because I think
threading
>¤ issues could make the activeX EXE global variables per-thread, which is
not
>¤ quite what you want either.
>¤ As far as I know, Currlands book suggests putting the object in the ROT
(Running
>¤ object table). We are currently trying this approach and I will post
the
>¤ results here later if you're interested.
>¤
>¤ "Ed" <edneeis@msn.com> wrote:
>
>The Curland methods were those I was referring to. I have his book (even
though I haven't
>read it)
>and my understanding is that there are multi-threading mechanisms that he
has implemented.
>
>I think it also depends on what you are doing exactly. You can also create
asynchronous
>notification
>events - this is covered in the Visual Basic documentation. The CoffeeMonitor
component
>is an
>example where an ActiveX EXE can be shared.
>
>Hope this helps.
>
>Paul
>~~~~
>pclement@ameritech.net
>
>
>
>Paul ~~~ pclement@ameritech.net
>Microsoft MVP (Visual Basic)

[L.J. Johnson]

Ed,

> So an ActiveX exe can share its info but a DLL can't is that it?

Looks like that's been covered. My ISP access was down for over 30 hours, so
haven't been able to get on. Sorry...

> >(3) Use a memory-mapped file, mapped to the pagefile, not a physical disk
> >file. I'd still encrypt it, but should be fairly safe.

> I don't quite get option 3???

Did you lookup the MSDN docs on memory-mapped files? I have at least one
example on my web site, and Karl has a couple on his (both based on articles
in VBPJ, if you have those). By mapping to the pagefile, there is not a
physical, separate disk file available. It *is* in the pagefile itself,
which is a physical file, but fairly hard to get to directly. But since it
*does* physically exist, I still suggest encrypting it. Memory-mapped files
are, as the name suggests, direct mapping of a "file" (in this instance, a
section of the pagefile) to memory addresses, where you can get to it
directly.

--
L.J. Johnson, Slightly Tilted Software
Microsoft MVP (Visual Basic)
LJJohnson@SlightlyTiltedSoftware.com or LJJohnson@mvps.org
<http://www.SlightlyTiltedSoftware.com>
Ask The NT Pro at <http://www.devx.com/gethelp>