Disable.exe Example Enables/Disables Menu Pads and Bars

ID: Q171570

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0a

SUMMARY

Disable.exe is a sample that shows how to enable and disable menus, menu pads and menu bars in a Top-Level form in Visual FoxPro 5.x.


MORE INFORMATION

The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center. Click the file name below to download the file:

Disable.exe
For more information about how to download files from the Microsoft Download Center, please visit the Download Center at the following Web address
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.asp
and then click How to use the Microsoft Download Center. To use the files included, follow these steps:

  1. Download the Disable.exe file and place it in a new folder.


  2. Double-click Disable.exe to extract the files.


  3. Once the files are extracted, start Visual FoxPro 5.x.


  4. In Visual FoxPro, set the default directory to the location of the files through the Tools, Options dialog box, File Locations tab or with the SET DEFAULT TO command.


  5. Start the program by issuing DO Disable.prg in the Visual FoxPro Command window or by choosing Do from the Program menu and choosing Disable.prg.


  6. Click the buttons to disable and enable menu items as desired.


  7. Quit and examine the Disable.mnx, Disable.scx and Disable.prg files as desired.


Symptoms

Menu pads and the menu bars on those menu pads do not disable properly and then do not re-enable when changing the SKIP FOR setting when the menu is placed in an SDI form. In the case of menu pad bars, when the SKIP FOR setting is changed to true, the bar will not disable (turn gray) until the second time it is chosen. However, the command or procedure assigned to that bar will not run. In the case of the menu pad, it also does not disable until the second time it is chosen. However, even though the menu will drop down, the options on it will not function.

Changing the SKIP FOR setting means that a logical memory variable is setup in the Prompt Options dialog box for a menu prompt in the Skip For: box. Normally changing that memory variable to True or False will enable or disable the prompt if the menu is not in a Top-Level(SDI) form.

Resolution

The best resolution to this is to issue the full SET SKIP OF command to enable or disable the menu components. To get the example in the Steps To Reproduce Behavior to work properly, add the following code in the places indicated.

In the Toggle Disable Menu button click method, make this the second line of code: 

   SET SKIP OF PAD colors OF (Thisform.Name) lMenu
In the Toggle Disable Menu Bar button click method, make this the second line of code: 

   SET SKIP OF BAR 1 OF colors lRed
See the attached sample files for a better example of disabling and re- enabling menus in a Top-Level form.

Status

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

Additional Information

When designing a menu in the Menu Designer, a logical memory variable can be placed in the SKIP FOR expression in the Prompt Options dialog box. The logical values .T. or .F. can also be used for this expression but they cannot be changed at runtime and this problem still occurs.

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

The following steps to reproduce the behavior assume a working knowledge of the Menu Designer and Form Designer in Visual FoxPro:

  1. Create a new program file and save it as NoDisabl.prg. Place the following code in the program file, and then save and close it: 
    
      lMenu=.F.
      lRed=.F.
      DO FORM NoDisabl
      READ EVENTS


  2. Create a new menu in the Menu Designer called NoDisabl.


  3. At the prompt for the first menu pad, type "Colors." Make the result a Submenu. Click the Options button and place "lMenu" in the Skip For text box (in the Prompt Options dialog box). Type in "colors" in the Pad Name box. Click OK to exit the Prompt Options dialog box.

    NOTE: The Pad Name is not necessary to reproduce the problem. The pad name will be used later to illustrate a workaround to the problem.


  4. Choose the Create button to create the Submenu.


  5. To create two menu bar prompts, type "Red" and "Blue." Make the result of each a command. For the commands, enter: 
    
      WAIT WINDOW "Red"
    -and- 
    
      WAIT WINDOW "Blue"


  6. Click the Options button for the Red bar. In the Prompt Options dialog box, place "lRed" in the Skip For box. Click OK to exit the Prompt Options dialog box.


  7. From the View menu, select General Options. Check the Top-Level Form check box in the General Options dialog box. Click OK.


  8. Select the Generate command from the Menu, and then save and generate the menu. Name the menu files "NoDisabl.mnx" and "NoDisabl.mpr."


  9. Create a new form named NoDisabl.


  10. In the Init method of the form, place the following code: 
    
      DO NoDisabl.mpr WITH THIS, .T.


  11. In the Destroy method of the form, place the following code: 
    
      RELEASE MENU (THIS.Name) EXTENDED
      CLEAR EVENTS


  12. Place three CommandButtons on the form. Change the caption properties on the buttons to Quit, Toggle Disable Menu, and Toggle Disable Menu Bar.


  13. In the Click method of the Quit button, place the following code: 
    
      Thisform.release


  14. In the Click method of the Toggle Disable Menu, place the following code: 
    
      lMenu=!lMenu
      IF lMenu
         WAIT WINDOW "lMenu is True, the pad should be disabled"
      ELSE
         WAIT WINDOW "lMenu is False, the pad should be reenabled"
      ENDIF
      Thisform.refresh


  15. In the Click method of the Toggle Disable Menu Bar, place the following code: 
    
      lRed=!lRed
      IF lRed
         WAIT WINDOW "lRed is True, menu bar Red should be disabled"
      ELSE
         WAIT WINDOW "lRed is False, menu bar Red should be reenabled"
      ENDIF
      Thisform.refresh


  16. Set the ShowWindow property of the form to be 2 - As Top-Level Form.


  17. Save the form as NoDisabl.scx and close it.


  18. Issue the following command in the Visual FoxPro Command window: 
    
      DO NoDisabl.prg


  19. Pull down the menu (use the mouse for this and the following steps) and ensure the Color options work.


  20. Click the Toggle Disable Menu Bar button, note the WAIT WINDOW that appears. Pull down the menu and choose Red. Note that it is not disabled (gray) but the WAIT WINDOW does not appear. Pull down the menu again. The Red option should now be disabled (gray). Click the Toggle Disable Menu Bar button again and pull down the menu. Note that Red is still disabled.


  21. Click on the Toggle Disable Menu button. Note the WAIT WINDOW and pull down the menu. Notice that it is not disabled but the Blue option doesn't bring up its WAIT WINDOW. Click on the menu pad again. It should immediately disable, if it is not already disabled. Click the Toggle Disable Menu button again. Note that the menu pad does not re-enable.


  22. The menu pad should now be re-enabled but the mouse cannot get it to work. Press the ALT key and click the menu pad. It should now be re-enabled and the Blue option should work.


  23. To see the menu work as expected outside the form, undo the following or re-create the example without the following:

    • Step #7 - uncheck the Top-Level form and be sure to regenerate the menu.


    • Steps #10, 11 - remark out these lines of code.


    • Step #16 - set the ShowWindow property of the form to 0 - In Screen.


    • Add the following line of code to the NoDisabl.prg file just before the DO FORM NoDisabl line: 
      
         DO NoDisabl.mpr


    • In the NoDisabl.prg file, place SET SYSMENU TO DEFAULT after the CLEAR EVENTS command.


    When you run the NoDisabl program, the menu should work as expected. The Pad will not show as enabled or disabled until you click on it once or press the ALT key.


Additional query words:

Keywords : kbfile kbsample kbVFp FxprgGeneral FxtoolFormdes FxtoolMBuilder
Version : WINDOWS:5.0,5.0a
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbinfo


Last Reviewed: November 19, 1999
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