Document-ID:        28816.1
Subject:            Success with ORA_FFI()
Author:             DRMILLS
Last Modified:      30 Oct 95 


The following Notes sould ensure successful use of the ORA_FFI package for 
calling Windows DLL functions.

1) Establish the specification of the Function of the DLL that you are 
   trying to call. This will include the following information
   a) Function Return type and size
   b) Function Arguments, datatypes and Size
   c) The Name of the DLL in which the function resides (which may be
      an .EXE!)

2) Don't try and write the ORA_FFI calls by hand. Use the utilty 
   FFIGEN which can be found in the ORAWIN/FORMS45/DEMO/FOREIGN 
   directory. This provides a simple interface to input the information
   gathered in step (1) and will genarate a .PLD (plsql text file) for
   you which you can then either inport into a library or a form.
   Ensure that you have write access to your working directory for this
   operation as this is where it will write the .PLD

3) Check that the .DLL file is accessible at runtime, either in the 
   windows system directory, or in the DOS path.

If your ORA_FFI call GPF's then check the buffer sizes that you have assigned 
in the ffigen form, this is the most probable cause.