FoxPro Information Resources Available on the Internet

Last reviewed: March 19, 1998
Article ID: Q115839
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, versions 3.0, 5.0
  • Microsoft FoxPro for Windows, versions 2.5x, 2.6, 2.6a
  • Microsoft FoxPro for MS-DOS, versions 2.0, 2.5x, 2.6, 2.6a
  • Microsoft FoxPro for Macintosh, versions 2.5x, 2.6a
  • Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Macintosh, version 3.0b
  • Microsoft FoxPro for UNIX, version 2.6

SUMMARY

The Internet is host to over 20 million users, including many FoxPro users. A variety of resources for FoxPro users are available free of charge on the Internet.

Below is a collection of mailing lists, FoxPro archives, and other Internet resources. E-mail resources are also available from other services.

MORE INFORMATION

FoxPro Archive Sites

You can access FoxPro archive sites by using the login ID "FTP" and your E-mail address as the password. Remember to use binary transfer mode for all non-ASCII files. For help with retrieving files from these sites, see "How to Retrieve Files from Archive Sites via FTP Transfer" or "How to Retrieve Files from Archive Sites via Electronic Mail" below. Please try to use the FTP site nearest you to conserve bandwidth.

You can upload freely distributable (freeware, shareware, or public domain) files to lenti.med.umn.edu in the directory /pub/foxpro/incoming. After uploading, send E-mail to Pete Kruckenberg at <pete@dswi.com> with the file's name and a description. The file will be moved to /pub/foxpro within a few days.

   SITE: lenti.med.umn.edu
   IP ADDRESS: 128.101.81.1
   DIRECTORY: /pub/foxpro
   INDEX: /pub/foxpro/index
   UPLOAD TO: /pub/foxpro/incoming
   ADMIN: Gerald Skerbitz <gsker@lenti.med.umn.edu>

   SITE: nstn.ns.ca
   IP ADDRESS: 137.186.128.11
   DIRECTORY: /pub/pc-stuff/foxpro
   INDEX: Not available at this time
   ADMIN: Paul Russell <russell@atl.sofkin.ca>

   SITE: ftp.microsoft.com
   IP ADDRESS: 198.105.232.1
   DIRECTORY: developr/fox
   INDEX: index.txt in each subdirectory
   ADMIN: <ftp@microsoft.com>

   SITE: mercurio.univr.it (mirrors nstn and lenti sites)
   IP ADDRESS: 157.27.1.2
   DIRECTORY: pub/msdos/foxpro
   INDEX: pub/msdos/foxpro/00INDEX and pub/msdos/foxpro/index.txt
   ADMIN: Germano Rossi <germano@chiostro.univr.it>

How to Retrieve Files from Archive Sites via FTP Transfer

All of the FoxPro archive sites listed above use the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) to upload and download files. The program that you will use to do this is usually called "ftp". To access an FTP site, start ftp with the name or IP address of the site as a command-line parameter (for example, "ftp lenti.med.umn.edu" or "ftp 128.101.81.1").

Once connected, you will be asked for a login ID. Use "ftp" as your login ID, then your full E-mail address (for example, "joebob@xyz.com") as your password. To list a directory, use the "ls" command; to change to a directory, use the "cd" command (for example, cd /pub/coneill). Before retrieving a file, you should usually turn on the binary transfer mode using the "bin" command. Then, use the "get" command to retrieve a file (for example, "get index.txt"). For help, use the "?" or "help" command. To exit ftp, type "quit" or "bye".

How to Retrieve Files from Archive Sites via Electronic Mail

Users who do not have access to archive sites with FTP transfer can use one of the E-mail FTP servers. To get information on how to use this service, send a message to <listserv@ubvm.cc.ubaffalo.edu> with the line

  GET INTERNET BY-EMAIL NETTRAIN F=MAIL

in the body of the message. The instructions you receive will give very detailed information about how to access FTP sites through E-mail.

This service is somewhat complicated to use, since the files will be in "UU- encoded" format when you receive them. You will need to obtain a program that decodes "UU-encoded" files. Your system administrator can help you obtain this program and decode the files.

NOTE: It currently is not possible to upload files to the Internet through this service.

Here are a few examples of how to use the service:

   To get a directory of what's at lenti.med.umn.edu:

      E-mail address: bitftp@pucc.princeton.edu
      Subject: The subject is not important
      Message body:
         open lenti.med.umn.edu
         cd /pub/foxpro
         ls

   To get the index file from lenti.med.umn.edu:

      E-mail address: bitftp@pucc.princeton.edu
      Subject: The subject is not important
      Message body:
         open lenti.med.umn.edu
         cd /pub/foxpro
         get index

   To get a file from lenti.med.umn.edu:

      E-mail address: bitftp@pucc.princeton.edu
      Subject: The subject is not important
      Message body:
         open lenti.med.umn.edu
         cd /pub/foxpro
         binary [you *must* do this when transferring a non-text file]
         get genscr20.zip

Mailing Lists

NOTE: Remember not to send mailing list service requests (subscribes, unsubscribes) to the posting address. Doing so wastes a lot of time, money, and other resources, and usually upsets a lot of people who don't want to see "SUBSCRIBE FOXPRO-L John Doe" requests.

The FoxPro Mailing List:

Send E-mail to <foxpro-l-request@dswi.com> with the word "help" in the subject to receive a help file with instructions on how to subscribe, unsubscribe, and additional mailing list options.

This mailing list is archived at lenti.med.umn.edu in /pub/foxpro. The list administrator is Pete Kruckenberg <listmaster@dswi.com>

To subscribe to the FoxPro mailing list, send E-mail to <foxpro-l-request@dswi.com> with the word "subscribe" in the subject.

To subscribe to the digest version of the list (multiple messages compiled into one digest that is sent out once or twice daily), send E-mail to <foxpro-d-request@dswi.com> with the word "subscribe" in the subject.

To post a message to the FoxPro mailing list, send it to <foxpro-l@dswi.com>.

NOTE: The FoxPro Mailing List has no affiliation with Microsoft.

University of Kansas:

Send E-mail to <listserv@ukanvm.cc.ukans.edu> with "HELP" as the first word of the message. The subject of the message does not matter. You will receive a message containing instructions on how to subscribe to or unsubscribe to the mailing list.

This list is archived at the list server. The help file you will receive explains how to retrieve information from the archive.

To subscribe to the University of Kansas mailing list, send E-mail to <listserv@ukanvm.cc.ukans.edu> with the following line in the message body (not subject line):

   SUBSCRIBE FOXPRO-L Your Full Name (substitute your name here)

To post a message to the University of Kansas mailing list, send it to <foxpro-l@ukanvm.cc.ukans.edu>.

USENET Newsgroup

comp.databases.xbase.fox is an unmoderated USENET newsgroup currently receiving about 150-200 messages per week. If your Internet provider doesn't have this newsgroup, ask your system administrator to add it to the groups your system receives. A frequently asked questions (FAQ) list is posted regularly and is also available from lenti.med.umn.edu as the file /pub/foxpro/foxfaq.zip.

Electronic Newsletter

Every month, the Boston Computer Society publishes a free electronic FoxPro newsletter, which is posted to the USENET group comp.databases.xbase.fox and is archived at wji.com in the directory fox/ (filenames BCNN*.TXT). If you would like to receive the newsletter via E-mail, send E-mail to Les Squires at lsquires@wji.com.

Microsoft on the Internet

Microsoft Technical Support does not provide technical support for FoxPro on the Internet. However, Microsoft does have an FTP archive site (see above) that contains the Microsoft Knowledge Base and the Microsoft Software Library.

Microsoft maintains the FoxPro Home Page on the World Wide Web (WWW). This page contains useful information about FoxPro and pointers to other FoxPro information on the Internet.

The FoxPro Home Page address is: http://www.microsoft.com/foxpro/

For information about the technical-support options available for FoxPro, please call (800) 936-3500.

If you have a suggestion for enhancements to future versions of FoxPro, please send E-mail explaining your "wish" to the FoxPro Wish List at foxwish@microsoft.com.

REFERENCES

Portions from Boston Computer News Network FoxPro Newsletter, April 1994

Pete Kruckenberg, Salt Lake City FoxPro Users' Group INTERNET: pete@dswi.com

Keywords          : FoxDos FoxMac FoxUnix FoxWin FxnetworkGeneral VFoxMac vfoxwin kbref
Version           : 2.0 2.5x 2.6x 3.0 5.0
Platform          : MACINTOSH MS-DOS UNIX WINDOWS


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Last reviewed: March 19, 1998
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