How to Return a Value from a Form

Last reviewed: April 30, 1996
Article ID: Q126956

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, version 3.0

SUMMARY

This article describes a way to obtain a return value from a Form called with a DO FORM command.

MORE INFORMATION

Some operations require a return value from a Form. For example, a dialog box typically returns an answer from user input. The DO FORM command is used to instantiate a form designed with the Form Designer. The TO clause of the DO FORM command allows to specify a return variable. For example:

   DO FORM frmtest1 TO cOkvar

This statement returns a value to the cOkvar variable if a RETURN statement is placed in the Unload method of a Form and the form is modal (WindowType=1-Modal).

For more information about the DO FORM command, search using DO FORM in the FoxPro Help system.

For information on calling a form as if it were a function, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q129648
   TITLE     : Calling a Form as If It Were a Function to Return a Value

The following step-by-step example illustrates how you can use a property to hold the return value of a form.

Step-by-Step Example

Create a form and place a text box on the form.
Add a command button to the form. Place the following command in the Click method of the form.
```
     THISFORM.Release
```
Set the WindowType property of the form to Modal.
Click New Property from the Form menu to add a Custom Property to the form. Call this property lRetVal.
In the Click method of the command button, store the value of the text box to the lRetVal property.
```
      THISFORM.lRetVal = THISFORM.Text1.Value
      *-- 'text1' refers to the text box
```
Place the following command in the Unload method of the form:
```
      RETURN THISFORM.lRetVal
```
Call the form by using the following command:
```
      DO FORM MyForm TO lMyRetVal
```
Type a value in the text box, and close the form. To verify the return value type the following command in the Command window.
```
      = MessageBox(lMyRetVal)
```

Additional reference words: VFoxWin 3.00
KBCategory: kbtool
KBSubcategory: FxtoolFormdes

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Last reviewed: April 30, 1996
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