PRB: Printer Setup Is Disabled When Using _MFI_SETUP in Menu

• Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, version 3.0
• Microsoft FoxPro for Windows, versions 2.5, 2.5a, 2.5b, 2.6, 2.6a
• Microsoft FoxPro for Macintosh, versions 2.5b, 2.5c, 2.6a

SYMPTOMS

The Printer Setup option of your menu is disabled.

CAUSE

The system menu option "_MFI_SETUP" exists as a menu command in your menu. When there is no text to be printed in the active window, FoxPro disables the Printer Setup option menu choice, and because the _MFI_SETUP variable is context-aware, it is enabled and disabled accordingly.

WORKAROUND

Use one of the following three workarounds:

• Use the SYS(1037) function. This is the best workaround, but it works only if you are using version 2.6 or later of FoxPro for Windows or version 2.5 or later of FoxPro for Macintosh.

  To invoke the printer setup dialog regardless of what is displayed on the screen, use the following code as a Command in your menu:

  ? SYS(1037)

  The Help file for FoxPro version 2.6 and 2.6a, in both the MS-DOS and Windows versions, is partially incorrect in that it states that this command is Macintosh-specific and will be ignored in the Windows and MS-DOS Versions of FoxPro. SYS(1037) works in FoxPro versions 2.6 and 2.6a for Windows, but not in other versions.

  -or-

• Issue the command "Set PDSETUP TO '?'" (without the double-quotation marks) as the command for your menu pad. This invokes the MS-DOS printer driver setup without invoking the Windows Printer Setup.

  -or-

• Issue the RUN command as in this example:

  RUN /N7 CONTROL MAIN.CPL PRINTERS

  This invokes the Control Panel, Printers option. However this is a less desirable workaround because, as noted in article Q101154, this causes the control panel to flash momentarily in the background. This command is specific to Windows only.

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

Create and run a program containing the following code:

   **---------------------------------------------------------**
   ** Place this code in a file called MENU.MPR               **
   **---------------------------------------------------------**
   SET SYSMENU TO
   SET SYSMENU AUTOMATIC
   DEFINE PAD testpad OF _msysmenu PROMPT "System" COLOR SCHEME 3
   ON PAD testpad OF _msysmenu ACTIVATE POPUP SYSTEM
   DEFINE POPUP SYSTEM MARGIN RELATIVE SHADOW COLOR SCHEME 4
   DEFINE BAR _mfi_setup OF SYSTEM PROMPT "Printer Setup..."

   **--------------------------------------------------------**
   ** Place this code in a file called MENU.PRG              **
   **--------------------------------------------------------**
   Terminate = .F.
   ON KEY LABEL f5 Do Stopit
   DO menu.mpr
   READ VALID terminate
   SET SYSMENU TO DEFAULT

   Procedure Stopit
   STORE .T. TO terminate
   clear Read