Content of Readme.hlp File Shipped w/FoxPro for Macintosh

ID: Q151099

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Macintosh, version 3.0b

SUMMARY

Following is the content of the Readme.hlp file located in the Visual FoxPro folder.

These release notes contain supplemental information that is not in the Visual FoxPro Help file or in the printed documentation. For additional information, check the Microsoft Visual FoxPro Web site at:

http://www.microsoft.com/vfoxpro

The content includes these main topics:

Conflict Between Visual FoxPro and FaxModem Software
Printing Reports in QuickDraw GX
Save As Class Dialog
Macintosh-specific Key Combinations
Multiple Configuration Files
File Names in Cross-platform Applications
Using QuickTime in Visual FoxPro Tables
Performance Management
roadhouse Property
SET DATASESSION Command
Visual FoxPro Converter
Customizing Toolbars
Creating Pivot Tables in Forms
SET HELP Command
Starting and Quitting Visual FoxPro
FoxTools Functions Update
SET SKIP OF Command
Setup Wizard: Changing the Creator Type
No Icelandic code page support for the Macintosh

MORE INFORMATION

Conflict Between Visual FoxPro and FaxModem Software

Some communication software may conflict with Visual FoxPro and lock your system. If you have Faxmodem software installed, disable the background or auto-receive functionality to avoid conflicts with Visual FoxPro.

Printing Reports in QuickDraw GX

To create a text file from a report without QuickDraw GX loaded, use the REPORT command with the TO FILE clause, as in the following example:
```
      REPORT FORM cReportFile.FRX TO FILE 
```

To create a text file from a report with QuickDraw GX loaded, use the REPORT command with the TO FILE and ASCII clauses, as in the following example:
```
      REPORT FORM cReportFile.FRX TO FILE cTextReport ASCII 
```
then print the text file cTextReport.

To print an existing report with QuickDraw GX loaded, use the REPORT command with the TO PRINT and PROMPT clauses, as in the following example:
```
      Report FORM cReportFile.FRX TO PRINT PROMPT 
```
then use the GX Print dialog and select the PostScript destination.

To print a query with QuickDraw GX loaded:
1. From the Query menu in the Query Designer, choose Query Destination.
2. Choose Screen, Report, or Label as an Output Destination. Use the Report Wizard button to create a report if one does not exist.
3. Specify a text file name as the Secondary Output of the Query Wizard.
4. Complete and run the Query.
After the Query Wizard runs, use the GX Print dialog to select the PostScript destination to print the text file.

Save As Class Dialog

In the scrolling list of the Save Class dialog, you can access folders only; file names are grayed. To specify the file into which you want to add a class, you must type the .VCX file name in the Save As Class edit box.

Macintosh-specific Key Combinations

Use the following Macintosh-specific key combinations in Visual FoxPro for Macintosh:


   Key combination                Applies to
   -----------------------------------------------------------------------

   Command key+alphanumeric       Activates main menu keyboard navigation.
   keypad 0 F10.

   Control+numeric keypad 0       Enters null value into null-enabled table
                                  fields.

   Command key+SHIFT+1, 2, or 3   Macintosh system defaults.

For more information, see Keyboard Shortcuts in Visual FoxPro Help.

Multiple Configuration Files

In order to use multiple configuration files, first remove the default CONFIG.FPM from the root Visual FoxPro folder, and then perform the following steps to create and use alternate configuration files:

Use Visual FoxPro or any text editor to create a configuration file.

Add alternate configuration files to your folder.

Use the SetConfig form in the Tools folder to specify the appropriate File Type and Creator for your new configuration file.

To use the new configuration file, double-click its icon or drag it to the Visual FoxPro icon.

File Names in Cross-platform Applications

In cross-platform applications, you should ensure that the length of file names conforms to the maximum limits of the most restrictive objects among the different platforms. For instance, long table names in Visual FoxPro for Macintosh may not resolve to valid names in Visual FoxPro for Windows.

Using QuickTime in Visual FoxPro Tables

To add QuickTime movies to Visual FoxPro tables, use the Microsoft Movie option of the OLE dialog box, as in the following procedure:

Open a General field. From the Edit menu, choose Insert Object.

From the OLE dialog box, select Create New.

From the Object Type list, choose Microsoft Movie, and then click OK.

Locate and open a QuickTime movie. The server opens the movie with a control bar and menu. You can choose the frame that displays as a poster, specify looping style, or copy and paste between objects.

Locate and open a QuickTime movie.

From the File menu, choose Update, then Quit. The Microsoft Movie server returns you to the table.

The following tables show commands you can use to control a QuickTime movie:


   File Menu:

   Command             Action
   -----------------------------------------------------------------------
   Open                Opens a QuickTime movie.
   Update              Commits changes to the table file.
   Quit                Closes the server.

   Edit Menu:

   Command             Action
   -----------------------------------------------------------------------
   Cut                 Removes individual frames from movie.
   Copy                Copies movie frame to Clipboard.
   Paste               Places Clipboard frame in current movie.

   Movie Menu:

   Command             Action
   -----------------------------------------------------------------------
   Loop                Enables movie to run continuously.
   Loop                Back and Forth Enables movie clip to run forward
                       and backward continuously.
   Play Selection      Only Plays the portion of QuickTime movie selected
                       by using SHIFT+DRAG on the control bar.
   Go To Poster Frame  Moves to the frame selected as the poster.
   Set Poster Frame    Selects the current movie frame as poster.

Performance Management

You can reduce print and report times by avoiding printing to the screen whenever you can. Use the NOCONSOLE clause in REPORT and DISPLAY commands and avoid using the ? command. For more information on optimizing performance, see Chapter 4, "Optimizing Your System," in the Installation Guide.

roadhouse Property

In the Remarks section of the roadhouse Property topic in Help, the text that reads "Available at design time and run time," should read "Available at design time; read-only at run time."

SET DATASESSION Command

In the Remarks section of the SET DATASESSION Command topic in Help, the text reads, "If a Form's DataSession property is set to true (.T.), the Form has its own data session, otherwise, a data session is not created for the Form."

The text should read: "If a Form's DataSession property is set to 2 (private DataSession), the Form has its own data session, otherwise, a data session is not created for the Form."

Visual FoxPro Converter

Visual FoxPro for Power Macintosh includes the latest version of the Visual FoxPro Converter. To ensure successful conversion of Visual FoxPro for Power Macintosh programs to Visual FoxPro for Windows, copy the Visual FoxPro for Power Macintosh CONVERT.APP file to the Visual FoxPro for Windows home( ) directory.

Customizing Toolbars

You can customize Visual FoxPro toolbars by dragging buttons from a selected toolbar while pressing the OPTION+CONTROL keys. Drag one button on top of another to create a single bar that contains several buttons. For more information, see "Customizing Visual FoxPro Toolbars" in Help.

Creating Pivot Tables in Forms

When you use the PivotTable Wizard to create a pivot table in a form, you must install MS Query and then set up an external data source. Without an available data source, Microsoft Excel is unable to complete the pivot table. To install MS Query, use the custom install option of Microsoft Excel Setup. To setup an external data source:

From the Data menu in Microsoft Excel, choose External Data Sources.

In the Select Data Source dialog box, click Other.

In the ODBC Data Source dialog box, click New.

Select Q+E/Microsoft FoxPro Driver, and click OK.

Type FoxPro as the Data Source Name, and click OK.

In the ODBC Data Sources dialog box, click OK.

In the Select Data Source dialog box, click Cancel.

Quit MS Query, and then Quit Microsoft Excel.

SET HELP Command

Graphical Help has been renamed from "FOXHELP.HLP" to "Visual FoxPro Help."

Starting and Quitting Visual FoxPro

In the Help topic "Starting and Quitting Visual FoxPro", and in Chapter 1, "Installing and Running Visual FoxPro," of the Installation Guide, remove the following text:

To start Visual FoxPro and bypass the current settings, press SHIFT while double-clicking the Visual FoxPro icon.

FoxTools Functions Update

Change your FoxTools documentation with the following information:


   FxGetRes( )
   -----------
   Syntax

   FxGetRes(cFilename, cResourceType, nResourceID |
    cResourceName, @cResourceValue)
   ...

   nResourceID

   Specifies the numeric resource ID of the resource to get. You can
   specify the resource either by ID or by name.

   cResourceName

   Specifies the resource name of the resource to get.

   You can specify either nResourceID, or nResourceName for the third
   parameter.

   FxSetRes( )
   -----------
   Syntax

   FxSetResource(cFilename, cResourceType, nResourceId |
    cResourceName, cResourceValue)
   ...

   nResourceID

   Specifies the numeric resource ID of the resource to set. You can
   specify the resource either by ID or by name.

   cResourceName

   Specifies the resource name of the resource to set.

   You can specify either nResourceID, or nResourceName for the third
   parameter.

SET SKIP OF Command

In the Remarks section of the SET SKIP OF Command topic in Help, the text reads, "If the logical expression lExpression evaluates to true (.T.), the menu, menu bar, menu name, or menu item included in SET SKIP OF is disabled, appears dimmed, and can't be selected. If lExpression evaluates to false(.F.), the menu, menu bar, menu name, or menu item is enabled and can be selected."

The following text should be added to the above paragraph:

"On the Macintosh, disabled menu items will be functionally disabled but will not show as dimmed."

Setup Wizard: Changing the Creator Type

\In step 2 of the Setup Wizard, if you have checked both 68K Macintosh and Power Macintosh environments, both will be installed on the machine on which you are installing your application.

You may experience the following problem on a 68K Macintosh:

Double-clicking on the .EXE file causes the Visual FoxPro Support Library PPC to attempt to launch and an error message appears. To resolve this error, you need to delete the Visual FoxPro Support Library PPC file after installing on your 68K machine.

No Icelandic Code Page Support for the Macintosh

There is no Icelandic code page support for the Macintosh operating system. This means that you are not able to use your Windows collation sequence for the Icelandic platform when porting your applications to the Macintosh.

Additional query words:

Keywords : kbreadme kbhelpfile kbMAC kbVFp FxotherReadme
Version : MACINTOSH:3.0b
Platform : MACINTOSH
Issue type :