Apart from the Automation Object Model, FlexPro offers the FPAccess interface, which allows controlling programs such as an application for data acquisition or a Visual Basic program to access the project database externally and to remote control FlexPro in a limited way. The FPAccess interface has a much simpler structure than the Automation Object Model and is targeted for efficient transfer of large volumes of data. The advantage of the FPAccess interface is that it is also available as a DLL and thus part of its functionality is available without FlexPro being installed.

The functionality of the FPAccess interface is a superset of that of FlexPro's DDE interface is therefore preferred. You can use the FPAccess interface to:

1.open FlexPro project databases,

2.manage FlexPro project databases in an Explorer dialog box,

3.create folders in FlexPro project databases,

4.write formulas and data sets in project databases,

5.check whether an object is present in the project database, and

6.open, update and print objects in project databases (only in direct communication with FlexPro - see below).

The interface can open FlexPro project database files independently without FlexPro's help, and can write data to these files. If the project database file has already been opened with FlexPro, then a direct communication with FlexPro will occur. DCOM allows this communication to take place across networks as well.

The project database access objects provided by FlexPro support OLE automation and direct access using COM. You can therefore also make best use of the interface with compiler languages such as C++.

Reference