Windows Programming Limitations in FoxPro Interface

• Microsoft FoxPro for Windows, versions 2.5, 2.5a, and 2.5b

SUMMARY

A number of items in the FoxPro for Windows interface cannot or should not be controlled programmatically. These items are part of the Windows standard interface. Some of these items can be controlled through use of the Windows Control Panel or by modifying .INI file settings.

NOTE: Changes made through the Control Panel or .INI settings will affect all Windows-based applications and therefore should be made carefully.

MORE INFORMATION

Colors

The following objects cannot be controlled through FoxPro color commands, and must be changed through the Color application in the Windows Control Panel.

                                      Control Panel, Color
   FoxPro item                        screen element item
   ------------------------------------------------------

   System menu bar                    Menu Bar
   System menu text                   Menu Text
   Disabled menu option               Disabled Text
   Enabled menu option                Menu Text
   ------------------------------------------------------
   Scroll bar                         Scroll Bar
   Status bar                         Active Title Bar
   ------------------------------------------------------
   Wait Window background             Active Title Bar
   Wait Window frame                  Window Frame
   ------------------------------------------------------
   Push button background             Button Face
   Push button text                   Button Text
   Push button highlight              Button Highlight
   Push button shadow                 Button Shadow
   ------------------------------------------------------
   Window title bar                   Active Title Bar
   Window frame                       Window Frame
   Window border                      Active Window Border

Location of Items

The location of the following items is defined by the Windows interface standards and cannot be changed:

   FoxPro system menu
   Window style status bar

   SET STATUS WINDOW

Fonts

The font used by the FoxPro system menu bar is controlled by a setting in the [Windows] section of the WIN.INI file. For more information about how to change this font, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q97160
   TITLE     : How to Change Font of FoxPro for Windows Menu Bar

Items That Cannot Be Added

The SCROLL clause of the DEFINE POPUP command does not allow a scroll bar to be added to a menu popup.

Items That Cannot Be Eliminated

The following items are part of the Windows standard interface and cannot be suppressed programmatically:

• The "Printing page X..." dialog box that appears while you are printing a report
• The close box on a window

REFERENCES

For additional general information about colors, see article Q94345, "How to Change Colors of Objects in FoxPro for Windows." For an alternative method of changing push button colors, see article Q106702, "How to Change Color of Push Buttons in FoxPro for Windows."

For additional information about Windows interface standards, see the "Interface Design Guide" Help file installed with the FoxPro Distribution Kit for Windows, or see the Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) documentation.