BUG: WAIT WINDOW NOWAIT Problem with Top-Level Forms

• Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0a

SYMPTOMS

When running a Visual FoxPro program that displays a WAIT WINDOW on activation of a Top-Level form, the Top-Level form stops responding. The Top-Level form does not close. The WAIT WINDOW does not close. If the Visual FoxPro desktop is not hidden, it can be activated to access the Command window either by clicking it or by clicking the button on the Windows Taskbar. Upon reactivating the Top-Level form by clicking the Windows Taskbar button for the Top-Level form, a transparent copy of the Top-Level form appears but the Top-Level form is still unresponsive. Quit Visual FoxPro to eliminate the Top-Level form.

CAUSE

There is a WAIT WINDOW "some message" NOWAIT command in the Activate method of the Top-Level form, which is followed by the Thisform.Release command. The problem still occurs if there is other code between the WAIT WINDOW command and the Thisform.Release command.

RESOLUTION

There are three possible workarounds, depending on what is desired:

• Use WAIT WINDOW "some message" TIMEOUT 1.

  -or-

  Use a number greater than one.

• Remove the WAIT WINDOW completely.
• Use WAIT WINDOW "some message" TIMEOUT 0.

  -or-

  Remove the TIMEOUT clause completely. Clicking the mouse is necessary in this case though.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this bug and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

1. Place the following code in a new program file, save the code and run The program. The code below is from a form created in the Form Designer that was opened in the Class Browser. Note the PROCEDURE Activate.

         ***Start of program code
         PUBLIC oform1
   

         oform1=CREATEOBJECT("form1")
         oform1.Show
         RETURN
   

         **************************************************
         *-- Form:         form1 (d:\dchou\test\test.scx)
         *-- ParentClass:  form
         *-- BaseClass:    form
         *
         DEFINE CLASS form1 AS form
   
            ShowWindow = 2
            DoCreate = .T.
            AutoCenter = .T.
            Caption = "Form1"
            Name = "Form1"
   
            PROCEDURE Activate
               WAIT WINDOW "Some Message" NOWAIT
               Thisform.Release
            ENDPROC
   
         ENDDEFINE
         *
         *-- EndDefine: form1
         **************************************************
   
   

2. Click the form or WAIT WINDOW. There should be no response.

3. Click the Windows Taskbar button for Visual FoxPro. The Top-Level form should disappear behind Visual FoxPro. Click the Windows Taskbar button for the Top-Level form; it should be labeled Form1. The border and title bar of the form may sometimes reappear. If the form appears, it will look transparent.