You CAN do it, but its not very friendly. Here's the source from DDECommander - find visual basic 6 EE and compile it into a ActiveX object, find some hapless coder to modify some of the non friendly bits to fit your task.
save this as a .FRM file:
VERSION 5.00
Begin VB.Form frmDDE
BorderStyle = 1 'Fixed Single
Caption = "DDE Commander"
ClientHeight = 1425
ClientLeft = 45
ClientTop = 420
ClientWidth = 4680
Icon = "frmDDE.frx":0000
LinkMode = 1 'Source
LinkTopic = "DDECommander"
MaxButton = 0 'False
MinButton = 0 'False
ScaleHeight = 1425
ScaleWidth = 4680
StartUpPosition = 3 'Windows Default
Begin VB.OptionButton optEvaluate
Caption = "Evaluate"
Height = 195
Left = 120
TabIndex = 8
Top = 1200
Width = 1335
End
Begin VB.OptionButton optCommand
Caption = "Command"
Height = 195
Left = 120
TabIndex = 7
Top = 960
Value = -1 'True
Width = 1335
End
Begin VB.TextBox mIRC
Height = 315
Left = 1800
TabIndex = 0
Text = "/"
Top = 360
Width = 1455
End
Begin VB.CommandButton bttHelp
Caption = "&Help"
Height = 375
Left = 3480
TabIndex = 5
Top = 960
Width = 1095
End
Begin VB.CommandButton bttAbout
Caption = "&About"
Height = 375
Left = 2160
TabIndex = 4
Top = 960
Width = 1095
End
Begin VB.ComboBox cmbDDEServerList
Height = 315
Left = 120
Style = 1 'Simple Combo
TabIndex = 2
Text = "mIRC"
Top = 360
Width = 1455
End
Begin VB.CommandButton bttDDE
Caption = "&DDE"
Height = 375
Left = 3480
TabIndex = 1
Top = 360
Width = 1095
End
Begin VB.Line Line1
X1 = 120
X2 = 4560
Y1 = 840
Y2 = 840
End
Begin VB.Label Label2
Caption = "DDE Message/Value"
Height = 255
Left = 1800
TabIndex = 6
Top = 120
Width = 1575
End
Begin VB.Label Label1
Caption = "DDE Server Name"
Height = 255
Left = 120
TabIndex = 3
Top = 120
Width = 1455
End
End
Attribute VB_Name = "frmDDE"
Attribute VB_GlobalNameSpace = False
Attribute VB_Creatable = False
Attribute VB_PredeclaredId = True
Attribute VB_Exposed = False
Private Sub bttAbout_Click()
MsgBox "DDE Commander by CloCkWeRX, [email]gekko_dev@hotmail.com"[/email]
End Sub
Private Sub bttDDE_Click()
Dim strConcatMe As String
If optCommand.Value Then
strConcatMe = "|COMMAND"
mIRC.LinkItem = "//showmirc -srxo | "
Else
strConcatMe = "|EVALUATE"
mIRC.LinkItem = ""
End If
On Error GoTo NoServer
mIRC.LinkTopic = frmDDE.cmbDDEServerList.Text & strConcatMe
mIRC.LinkMode = vbLinkNone
mIRC.LinkItem = mIRC.LinkItem & mIRC.Text
'reload -rs <script from command line>
mIRC.LinkMode = vbLinkManual
If optCommand.Value Then
mIRC.LinkPoke
Else
mIRC.LinkRequest
End If
mIRC.LinkMode = vbLinkNone
Exit Sub
NoServer:
MsgBox "Server not found."
End Sub
Private Sub bttHelp_Click()
Dim tVar As String
tVar = tVar + "You can get the DDE Server name for mIRC by typing //echo -a $ddename." & vbCrLf
tVar = tVar + "Enter this value into the DDE Server Name field." & vbCrLf & vbCrLf
tVar = tVar + "If you choose 'Command' then it sends mIRC a /command. Useful for testing aliases, etc. Evaluate will fetch a value, such as a varible, custom identifier, or identifier."
MsgBox tVar
End Sub
Private Sub Command1_Click()
MsgBox "test"
End Sub
Private Sub Form_Load()
If Not Command = "" Then
frmDDE.Visible = False
optCommand.Value = True
mIRC.Text = Command
bttDDE_Click
End
End If
End Sub
Private Sub optEvaluate_Click()
If (mIRC.Text = "/") Then
mIRC.Text = "$"
End If
mIRC.SetFocus
End Sub
Private Sub optCommand_Click()
If (mIRC.Text = "$") Then
mIRC.Text = "/"
End If
mIRC.SetFocus
End Sub
