FoxPro for Macintosh Interface Tips and Tricks

• Microsoft FoxPro for Macintosh, versions 2.5b, 2.5c

SUMMARY

This information is also available in FoxPro's online Help file.

To go directly to this topic, choose the "Tips and Tricks" Help topic. Then do one of the following, depending on which online Help file is in use:

• FOXHELP.HLP: Choose the "Interface Tips" jump text.
• FOXHELP.DBF: Scroll to the "Interface Tips" heading.

MORE INFORMATION

Available Fonts

To find out if the font you want to use is available, use AFONT().

Monospaced and Proportional Fonts

The TXTWIDTH() function is useful in determining whether a font is mono- or proportionally spaced. If TXTWIDTH('I') = TXTWIDTH('M'), then the font is monospaced.

Text Editor

To select an entire line of text (including the carriage return) when editing, triple-click on the line.

To move or copy selected text, use "drag-and-drop". You can drag a copy of the text by holding down the CTRL key as you drag the selected text. When you use drag and drop, FoxPro places the dragged text on the clipboard. Anything on the clipboard when you use drag and drop is overwritten.

To indent and unindent large sections of code or text, use Indent and Undent on the Text menu.

Customizing the Main FoxPro Window

You can modify the main FoxPro window using the MODIFY WINDOW SCREEN command. This command allows you to set various attributes of the window including font, font size, font style, wallpaper, color, title, size and so on.

Notice that you can issue multiple MODIFY WINDOW commands to adjust different characteristics of a window without changing characteristics that you've already set.

To change the font of the main FoxPro window, hold down the Shift key and choose Screen Font... from the Text menu. You can also change the font with the MODIFY WINDOW SCREEN command.

With the Screen Builder, you can create a DESKTOP window in the Window Style dialog. This option allows you to customize the main FoxPro window.

Closing Multiple Windows

To close several windows at one time, hold down the Shift key and choose Close All from the File menu. You can temporarily hide all windows by simultaneously pressing SHIFT+CTRL+OPTION+COMMAND. On other FoxPro platforms, you can temporarily hide all windows by simultaneously pressing SHIFT+CTRL+ALT.

Command Window on Top

To always keep the Command window on top of the main FoxPro window, include the following lines in your CONFIG.FPM configuration file:

   MACDESKTOP = OFF
   COMMAND = SET MACDESKTOP ON

Hiding the Main FoxPro Window on Startup

You can start FoxPro for Macintosh with the main FoxPro window hidden by placing the following line in your CONFIG.FPM configuration file:

   COMMAND = HIDE WINDOW SCREEN

Password Protection

If your application requires a password, try using a font size that is too small to read or a password font in which all the characters are the same.