Simple NDde demo for reading and writing data to Excel using DDE

Program.cs

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.IO;
using System.Linq;
using NDde.Client;

// Adapted from: http://ndde.codeplex.com/discussions/399046

static class Program
{
    static void Main(IEnumerable<string> args, TextReader stdin, TextWriter stdout, TextWriter stderr)
    {
        var argq = new Queue<string>(args.Where(arg => !string.IsNullOrEmpty(arg)));
        var topic      = argq.Count > 0 ? argq.Dequeue() : "Book1";
        var inputItem  = argq.Count > 0 ? argq.Dequeue() : "R1C1";
        var outputItem = argq.Count > 0 ? argq.Dequeue() : "R1C2";
        
        using (var client = new DdeClient("EXCEL", topic))
        {
            client.Connect();
            stderr.WriteLine("Connected.");
            client.StartAdvise(inputItem, 1, true, TimeSpan.FromMinutes(1));
            client.Disconnected += (_, e) => { if (e.IsServerInitiated) { stderr.WriteLine("Server disconnected."); } };
            client.Advise += (_, e) => stdout.WriteLine(e.Text.TrimEnd('\r', '\n', '\0'));

            string line;
            while ((line = stdin.ReadLine()) != null)
            {
                if (client.IsConnected)
                    client.Poke(outputItem, line + "\0", TimeSpan.FromSeconds(4));
                else
                    stderr.WriteLine("WARNING! Client no longer appears connected.");
            }
        }
    }

    static int Main(string[] args)
    {
        try
        {
            Main(args, Console.In, Console.Out, Console.Error);
            return 0;
        }
        catch (Exception e)
        {
            Console.Error.WriteLine(e.GetBaseException().Message);
            return 1;
        }
    }
}

static class DdeClientExtensions
{
    public static void StartAdvise(this DdeClient client, string item, int format, bool hot, TimeSpan timeout)
    {
        if (client == null) throw new ArgumentNullException("client");
        client.StartAdvise(item, format, hot, (int) timeout.TotalMilliseconds);
    }

    public static void Poke(this DdeClient client, string item, string data, TimeSpan timeout)
    {
        if (client == null) throw new ArgumentNullException("client");
        client.Poke(item, data, (int) timeout.TotalMilliseconds);
    }
}