DKREADME.TXT Questions & Answers FoxPro 2.6a for MS-DOS

• Microsoft FoxPro for MS-DOS, version 2.6a

SUMMARY

This article is based on the information in the FoxPro version 2.60a for MS- DOS DKREADME.TXT file, found in the main FoxPro directory (usually FPD26) and on Disk 1 of the Distribution Kit.

MORE INFORMATION

                       DKREADME.TXT

 Microsoft(R) FoxPro(R) Version 2.6a Professional Edition

               Distribution Kit for MS-DOS(R)

   (C)1994 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

CONTENTS

1. Installation

Part 1: Installation

Installing the Professional Edition of FoxPro 2.6

The Professional Edition of FoxPro 2.6 includes these kits:

   Distribution Kit
   Connectivity Kit
   Library Construction Kit
   WorkGroup Extensions (FoxPro for Windows only)

Important Note

Once you have installed the main FoxPro product, don't rename the FoxPro executable file if you will be distributing FoxPro applications. The setup program for the Distribution Kit requires the FoxPro executable file to be named the default, FOXPRO.EXE. If you have renamed the executable file, change it back to FOXPRO.EXE before running the Distribution Kit setup program.

FoxPro version 2.6 now includes the FoxPro Wizards, located in the WIZARDS subdirectory. The FoxPro Wizards and CATALOG.APP should not be distributed with your applications.

Part 2: Microsoft Knowledge Base Articles

If you installed the Microsoft Knowledge Base articles, you can view them by running the application KBVIEW.APP. These articles contain useful information about a variety of FoxPro topics.

Part 3: Changes to Distribution Kit User's Guide Since Printing

In the Distribution Kit User's Guide, references to FoxPro version 2.5 should be read as references to FoxPro version 2.6.

Chapter 1, page 2: The first bulleted item should read:

   The Distribution Kit files, in both 5.25-inch and 3.5-inch disk
   formats.

   File menu: Close, Save, Save As and Revert

   Menu Pads

   The following FoxPro menu pads aren't available in the applications
   you distribute.

   SYSTEM Menu:  Macros..., Filer
     FILE Menu:  New..., Open..., Printer setup...,
                 Print..., Quit
   WINDOW Menu:  Color..., Command, Debug, Trace, View

   FOXPRO.ESL is now FOXD2600.ESL
   FOXPRO.ESO is now FOXD2600.ESO
   FOXPROX.ESL is now FOXDX260.ESL

   Chapter 1, page 5, the Distribution Kit Files table.

   Chapter 3, page 22, change the last sentence to read:

      The .EXE Support Library consists of three files: FOXD2600.ESL, the
      standard .EXE Support Library FOXD2600.ESO, and the 32-bit Extended
      .EXE Support Library FOXDX260.ESL."

   Chapter 5, page 32, the table called Files Required on Distribution
   Disks Based on Type of Application has these changes:

      In the "You must also distribute these files" column, substitute the
      .ESL and .ESO file names with the new File names.

   If your help files are included in your project but marked as excluded,
   you must distribute the .DBF and .FPT files with your application. These
   files can be changed by the user. If you don't want your users to have
   the ability to change the contents of your help files, include them in
   your project, but don't mark them as excluded.

Part 4: Answers to Commonly Asked Questions

Question 1

What type of applications (single or multiuser) can be built with the Distribution Kit?

Answer 1

You can build single and multiuser applications with the Distribution Kit.

Question 3

Suppose I write a program for Client A and compile the program as a compact .EXE file and give the application to Client A, together with the *.ES? Library files with which to run the application. Client A owns the application and the copyright. Client A then sells the application to many other people.

Question 3.1

Does Client A also have to purchase the Distribution Kit?

Answer 3.1

No, Client A does not need to purchase the Distribution Kit. Only the developer who uses the Distribution Kit to build the original .EXE file must own a licensed copy of the Distribution Kit.

Question 3.2

Does Client A have to purchase the FoxPro version 2.6 development system?

Answer 3.2

Client A does not have to purchase FoxPro version 2.6 because the client is not building their own .EXE; Client A is just a reseller. Client A must distribute the application in its original form, however, and cannot remove the runtime files to include the application with another application.

Question 3.3

Does the above also apply to stand-alone .EXE files?

Answer 3.3

Yes.

Question 4

Why is Build Executable dimmed after I install the Distribution Kit?

Answer 4

Two possible reasons: First, the Distribution Kit must be installed in your FoxPro directory. Ensure that the FoxPro files are not marked as read-only before installing the Distribution Kit. Second, the project does not include a SET MAIN program. Select the main menu or program, then choose Main from the Project menu.

Question 5

When I compile an .EXE file, the process stops with a "Cannot Open File" error message that refers to a Distribution Kit program file. When I grant all access rights, except for delete, to the program directory, the program compiles. However, the compilation process leaves several files in the program directory with names like WLK02112.--A, WLK02112.--B, WLK02112.--C, and so on. What are these files?

Answer 5

Compiling program files in the FoxPro Distribution Kit places temporary files in the directory from which you start FoxPro. The TMPFILES statement in the CONFIG.FP file does not affect file placement.

Include the full path to the network drive and directory where the FoxPro development and distribution programs are installed. Start FoxPro from a user directory that has all rights, including erase or delete rights, assigned to it. The process of compiling using the Distribution Kit creates files in and deletes files from the user directory. The system administrator can designate the program directory read only.

Question 6

I have created an application that does not allow me to edit my table .DBF files. How can I correct this problem?

Answer 6

Mark your table .DBF file as excluded in the project, then rebuild your application. You must distribute these files to your end users. Including the table .DBF file in the project automatically makes these files read only.

Question 7

How do you instruct an MS-DOS .FXP, .APP or compact .EXE file to run in extended mode from within Windows?

Answer 7

An .FXP, .APP, or .EXE file will run in standard mode when run from within Windows, even though there is enough memory for the extended mode Support Library to run. To force use of the Extended Support Library from within Windows, you can use the +X loader switch to launch your application.

Part 5: Error Messages

Message: "Feature Not Available"

Question 1

My executable file runs correctly in the development version of FoxPro, but I receive the error message "Feature Not Available" when running the stand- alone application. How can I correct this problem?

Answer 1.1

You will get the "Feature not available" error message when you use commands, features, and menus that require the development version of FoxPro. Refer to the "Features Not Available in Distributed Applications" list in the FoxPro Distribution Kit User's Guide for a list of these commands and functions. These commands and functions include: BUILD APP, BUILD EXE, BUILD PROJECT, COMPILE, FILER, CREATE/MODIFY MENU, CREATE/MODIFY QUERY, CREATE/MODIFY SCREEN, SET VIEW ON, and SUSPEND and features specific to the interactive development environment such as the Trace, Debug, Command, and View windows.

Answer 1.2

You will get the "Feature not available" error message when using commands containing macro substitution in a stand-alone .EXE file. When you compile a stand-alone .EXE file, the compiler includes only the code necessary to run the commands explicitly included in the application. If there is macro substitution anywhere in a line of code, that entire line is skipped, since FoxPro does not explicitly "see" the command referenced by the macro- substituted variable. The result is that the code to execute the substituted command is not built into the .EXE file.

The following examples illustrate two methods for ensuring that macro- substituted commands are included in your compiled .EXE file:

Example 1:

As a developer you might want to allow the user to choose either reports or labels by storing the choice "report" or "label" in a memory variable called m.output. You could then store the file name in the memory variable m.filename. You would include the following command to run the report or labels in your application:

   &output FORM &filename TO PRINT NOCONSOLE

   IF .F.
      REPORT FORM dummy
      LABEL FORM dummy
   ENDIF

Example 2:

This code example illustrates the use of macro substitution for the PACK command. Because the code does not explicitly issue the PACK command, FoxPro does not include the required code in the stand-alone .EXE file. An attempt to run the PACK command from the macro substitution fails.

   testcom="pack"
   &testcom

   procedure addon
   pack
   return

Message: "Dynamic memory exhausted"

Question 1

What is the cause and solution for a "Dynamic memory exhausted" error message when compiling a stand-alone .EXE file?

Answer 1

This error message is sent by the WATCOM linker, which is one of the tools in the FoxPro Distribution Kit used to create a stand-alone application. The message is displayed when the amount of available conventional memory is too low. The WATCOM linker (WLINK8.EXE) uses only conventional memory.

If the CONFIG.FP file contains the DOSMEM=ON statement, edit the file to remove the statement. If the CONFIG.FP file does not contain a DOSMEM statement, edit the AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files to remove unnecessary device drivers and memory-resident applications to maximize available conventional memory.

Message: "Link command failed"

Question 1

When I attempt to build an executable file, I receive the error message "Link command failed." How can I correct this problem?

Answer 1

If you receive this error message, check the following items:

a. Make sure that enough conventional memory is available. Modify the

   CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files to free conventional memory.

c. Increase the number of file handles available to Microsoft FoxPro for

   MS-DOS. To do this, modify the FILES statement in the CONFIG.SYS file to
   increase the number of available files. In the Novell NetWare
   environment, modify the FILE HANDLES statement in the SHELL.CFG file to
   increase the number of available files.

   specified by the /F and /L parameters. For example:

      SHARE /F:5120 /L:500

   statement in the CONFIG.SYS file to specify the /P (permanent) option
   switch. Be sure SHELL= or COMSPEC= is set for the correct path to
   COMMAND.COM.

   MS-DOS PATH environment variable in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file:

      WLINK8.EXE and FOXSWAP.COM.

   statement (if it is present) from the CONFIG.FP file.

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