Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

• Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, version 3.0

SUMMARY

This article gives answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about Visual FoxPro for Windows. This information in this article is also available in the an online Windows Help file format. You can view the Help file in either of two ways:

• On the Help menu, click Technical Support, and then choose the Answers to Common Qtopic.

  -or-

• Open the PSSQA.HLP help file, located in the main Visual FoxPro for Windows directory.

MORE INFORMATION

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the questions most frequently asked about Microsoft Visual FoxPro. Please scan this list before calling Microsoft Technical Support. If you are viewing this information in a Help file, you can click the question to see the answer.

Configuration and Installation Issues

Q1: Why does my MEMLIMIT setting no longer work?

A1: Visual FoxPro allocates memory dynamically on all supported platforms. Therefore, the MEMLIMIT setting is no longer required.

Q2: How do I set the defaults I want in my Visual FoxPro environment?

A2: You can include the desired SET commands in your Visual FoxPro configuration file, CONFIG.FPW. In the CONFIG.FPW file, the syntax for SET commands is command = value. For example, if you want to set the default directory in CONFIG.FPW, the command line would be:

   DEFAULT=C:\VFP

• Interface options
• Data entry and programming options
• Text editor options
• Table options
• Remote data access options
• Directory, path, and file location options
• Form Designer options
• Project Manager options
• Visual Class Library and OLE options
• Date, time, and numeric format options

A3: In your configuration file, CONFIG.FPW, add the TITLE command using the following syntax:

   TITLE=MyTitle

   _SCREEN.Caption=MyTitle

A4: There are several possible causes of installation errors starting on Disk 2. First, check to see if the error is caused by a bad disk, a hardware failure, or a virus. If you have eliminated these as the cause, the errors may relate to the Distribution Media Format (DMF) of the disks. With the exception of the Setup disk (Disk 1), Visual FoxPro disks use a new format called Distribution Media Format (DMF). DMF increases the capacity of a 3.5-inch floppy disk, reducing the number of disks needed to install Visual FoxPro. This speeds up the installation process.

CAUTION: Because DMF is a new format, many existing utilities such as Norton Disk Doctor, Microsoft ScanDisk, MS-DOS DiskCopy, and Microsoft Windows Copy Disk do not recognize DMF. You should NOT use disk utilities to examine a DMF-formatted disk, as these utilities can corrupt the DMF disk. You cannot copy DMF-formatted disks using MS-DOS DiskCopy or Microsoft Windows Copy Disk.

Operating systems other than Windows 3.1 (or later) and Windows NT 3.5 (or later) may not have the correct files to support DMF. For users with Windows NT 3.1, if you updated FLOPPY.SYS or have installed Microsoft Windows NT Service Pack 3, you should be able to install Visual FoxPro. If you did not install these files or are unsure about what to do, there are three things you can do to correct this problem:

• Update your operating system.
• Contact Microsoft Technical Support to obtain the correct system files.
• Contact Customer Service for a fulfillment disk set.

Professional and Standard Editions of Visual FoxPro

Q5: What are the differences between the Professional and Standard Editions of Visual FoxPro?

A5: The Professional Edition of Visual FoxPro allows developers to create, compile, and distribute royalty-free applications. In addition, the following features and tools are available only in the Professional Edition:

• Setup Wizard
• Documenting Wizard
• Upsizing Wizard
• Printed Language Reference and Professional Features Guide
• Two versions of the Windows Help compiler
• OLE controls for communications, messaging, outlining, and picture clips
• API Library Construction
• Class Browser (displays the classes in a class library or a form)

A6: No. You can purchase OLE controls from third-party vendors or you can create them yourself using the Microsoft OLE Custom Control Developer's Kit provided with Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Edition, version 2.0.

Q7: Does Visual FoxPro support .VBX files?

A7: No. Visual FoxPro supports OLE controls.

Q8: If I own the Standard Edition and I don't have a printed Language Reference, where do I find the description and syntax for a command?

A8: You can find descriptions of all language elements, such as commands, functions, properties, events, and methods, in Help menu. On the Help file's main table of contents, click the Language Reference topic to access alphabetical lists of language topics, or click the Search button to find and go to a specific language topic.

Cross-Platform, Conversion, and Migration Issues

Q9: I have existing FoxPro projects. How do I update them to run in Visual FoxPro?

A9: Visual FoxPro includes a converter that will convert applications created in previous versions of FoxPro to Visual FoxPro version 3.0. The converter leaves your original version 2.x application intact. However, if you plan to develop cross-platform applications, be aware that UNIX, MS-DOS, and Macintosh each have platform-specific features that may not be available in Windows and vice versa.

Q10: Can I convert my dBASE applications to Visual FoxPro?

A10: Visual FoxPro will convert your dBASE files to formats compatible with Visual FoxPro. If you have existing dBASE catalogs (.CAT files), you can convert them to Visual FoxPro projects (.PJX files). When you open a dBASE catalog, Visual FoxPro does the following:

• Converts tables to Visual FoxPro format.
• Converts screens to forms so that you can modify them with the Form Designer.
• Converts reports and labels so that you can modify them with the Report Designer.
• Adds dBASE queries (.QBE files) to the Project Manager as programs under the Code tab so that you can run them.

A11: No, not until a version of Visual FoxPro specific to that platform is released.

Interface Features

Q12: Where are the Database and Run menus?

A12: Visual FoxPro now uses the concept of the database as a container of tables rather than referring to the individual tables as databases. The Visual FoxPro database (.DBC file) makes the options on the Database menu obsolete. The Run menu was also removed because the options on this menu have been eliminated or relocated to other menus.

Q13: Where do I find a list of the system toolbars available in Visual FoxPro?

A13: You can see a list of the available system toolbars by clicking Toolbars on the View menu. You can customize a toolbar by selecting it from the list in the Toolbars dialog box and clicking the Customize button.

Q14: I collapsed the Project Manager window so that it is now part of the toolbar. How do I restore it to its expanded form?

A14: With the mouse, click in the rectangular area immediately above any of the tabs. Drag the Project Manager to the main Visual FoxPro window and drop it there.

Q15: When I click the right mouse button why does a menu appear?

A15: The right mouse button now activates shortcut menus that are context- sensitive. In other words, if the mouse pointer is positioned over an object and you click the right mouse button, a menu appears with choices appropriate for working with that object.

Q16: When I look at the tables in the Database Designer, what are the lines that connect some of the tables?

A16: The lines connecting tables in the Database Designer are a visual representation of the persistent relationships between the tables.

Q17: When I'm working with several windows and toolbars open, how can I reduce the clutter on my screen?

A17: You have several options:

• You can dock toolbars at the top or sides of your screen.
• You can press CTRL+F1 to activate each window until the one you want is on top.
• You can use the Window list on the Window menu to select the window you want to activate.
• You can position and resize your windows.

Designers

Q18: Does the Screen Builder exist in Visual FoxPro?

A18: The Screen Builder is replaced by the Form Designer. For information on using the Form Designer, see the Form Designer topic in online Help.

Q19: Does Visual FoxPro generate .SPR files?

A19: Visual FoxPro does not generate code. It now runs the forms directly from the .SCX file in a manner similar to the way in which FoxPro ran reports directly from the .FRX.

Q20: What is the difference between the Database Designer and the Data Environment Designer?

A20: The Database Designer displays all the tables, views, and relationships contained in a database. The Data Environment Designer contains all the tables, views, and relationships that are to be opened when you run or modify a form or report.

Q21: How do I create an array property on a form?

A21: On the Form menu, click New Property, and enter the array name and its dimensions.

Q22: When subclassing a control, I want to add new code to the click event of the button, but I also want the code in the parent class to be executed. How can I do this?

A22: In the Click event, add objectname::click in the Name text box before you add any of your new code. This forces Visual FoxPro to execute the parent click event. The code you added is executed next.

Q23: When creating a class based on a button, how do I reference properties of the form on which the button is placed?

A23: You can use the ThisForm, This.Parent, or Thisformset object references. For example:

   ThisForm.Caption="MYCAPTION"

A24: A class is a specification from which an object is created. A class is similar to the blueprint of a house or a schematic for a telephone. The blueprint or schematic simply lays out the characteristics and features of the house or telephone. You cannot activate a class. You must create an object from the class using the CREATEOBJECT() function. You can then show the object. For more information, please see the CREATEOBJECT() topic in Help menu.

Wizards and Builders

Q25: What is the difference between a wizard and a builder?

A25: A wizard takes you step-by-step through a process to accomplish a common and predefined task such as creating a query. A builder lets you create a customized set of properties for an existing object such as a control.

Q26: What wizards and builders are available in Visual FoxPro?

A26: The wizards available in Visual FoxPro are:

• Cross-Tab Query Wizard
• Form Wizard
• Graph Wizard
• Group/Total Report Wizard
• Import Wizard
• Label Wizard
• Local View Wizard
• Mail Merge Wizard
• One-to-Many Form Wizard
• One-to-Many Report Wizard
• PivotTable Wizard
• Query Wizard
• Remote View Wizard
• Report Wizard
• Table Wizard

• Documenting Wizard
• Setup Wizard
• Upsizing Wizard

• AutoFormat Builder
• Combo Box Builder
• Command Group Builder
• Edit Box Builder
• Form Builder
• Grid Builder
• list Box Builder
• Option Group Builder
• Referential Integrity Builder
• Text Box Builder