Specify the default settings for DDE links

File > Options > DDE Links

Stop and start processing DDE data requests, specify the default settings for circular link detection, set the default priority for new links, and specify symbols for missing values. The changes you make to the defaults remain until you change them again, even after you exit Minitab.

For more information about DDE, go to Overview of Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE).

Minitab as Server

• Process external requests: Process external requests for data from clients.
• Ignore external requests: Do not process external requests for data from clients.
  • Notify of ignored requests: Minitab displays a message when it receives, but does not process, a data request.

Minitab as Client

• Process external data updates: Process external data updates. External servers will update client links within Minitab.
• Ignore external data updates: Do not process external data updates. External servers will not update client links within Minitab.

Circular Checking

Enable circular checking

Detect potential circular links. A circular link occurs when Minitab receives data that directly or indirectly refers to data that Minitab is sending at the same time. A circular link can loop indefinitely and cause your computer to respond slowly. For more information about circular links, go to Troubleshooting DDE and click "Circular links".

• Number of cycles: Specify the number of cycles that occur before Minitab displays a message that it detects a circular link. The default value is 30.

• Time between cycles: Specify the amount of time that elapses between consecutive updates to the same data item. The default value is 100 milliseconds (ms).

  If consecutive updates are made and each occurs in less time than you specify in Time between cycles, Minitab includes the number of consecutive updates in the circular link message.

Miscellaneous

• Default priority (1 = high, 32 = low): Specify the priority that new DDE links have. The default value of 16 (in a range from 1 to 32) is medium priority.

  When Minitab receives requests from multiple links, or when multiple conversations are queued for processing, Minitab processes the conversations in the order of link priority. Minitab processes conversations from links that have the same priority in the order they are received.

• Missing value sent to clients: Specify the symbol, text, or integer to use for missing values in data that Minitab sends to clients.
• Missing value rec’d from servers: Specify the symbol, text, or integer to use for missing values in data that Minitab receives from servers.