Microsoft KB Archive/109070

= FastTips for FoxPro for Mac: General Interface Q&A =

ID: Q109070

The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft FoxPro for Macintosh, version 2.5b

Microsoft(R) Technical Support Application Note (Text File) FC0959: GENERAL INTERFACE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Revision Date: 12/93 No Disk Included The following information applies to Microsoft FoxPro(R) version 2.5 for Macintosh(R).

| INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT AND ANY SOFTWARE THAT MAY   |
 * ACCOMPANY THIS DOCUMENT (collectively referred to as an Application|
 * Note) IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER    |
 * EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED    |
 * WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND/OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR     |
 * PURPOSE. The user assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy and  |
 * the use of this Application Note. This Application Note may be    |
 * copied and distributed subject to the following conditions: 1) All |
 * text must be copied without modification and all pages must be    |
 * included; 2) If software is included, all files on the disk(s) must|
 * be copied without modification (the MS-DOS(R) utility diskcopy is |
 * appropriate for this purpose); 3) All components of this          |
 * Application Note must be distributed together; and 4) This        |
 * Application Note may not be distributed for profit.               |
 * Copyright (C) 1993 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.    |
 * Microsoft, FoxPro, and MS-DOS are registered trademarks and Windows|
 * is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.                          |
 * Macintosh is a registered trademark and Finder is a trademark of  |
 * Apple Computer, Inc.                                              |
 * Apple Computer, Inc.                                              |

General Interface Features
1. Q. How can I choose the default push button in a dialog box

when I am using the keyboard?

A. Press COMMAND+ENTER to choose the default push button in a      dialog box. The default push button in a Macintosh dialog box is outlined with a bold oval. 2. Q. Why isn't my CONFIG.FP file loaded when I start FoxPro for

Macintosh?

A. On the Macintosh, the configuration file must be named CONFIG.FPM, and it must be located in the same directory as the application. If you are starting FoxPro from an alias, you still must place the CONFIG.FPM in the same directory as the actual application to which the alias points. 3. Q. How can I adjust the style of the text that appears on the

FoxPro desktop when I execute commands that print?

A. With the Command window active and the SHIFT key held down, choose Screen Font from the Text menu. This allows you to      change the screen font. Also see the MODIFY WINDOW command in      the "Language Reference." Remember that the name of the window to be modified in this case is "screen." 4. Q. In FoxBASE+/Mac, the Debug and Trace commands are located

on the Window menu. Are they available in FoxPro for Macintosh?

A. The designers of FoxPro decided to rearrange the menus so that options are grouped by function. The Trace and Debug commands are located on the Program menu, which is consistent with FoxPro version 2.5 for MS-DOS and Windows. 5. Q. Although FoxPro's language is rich, it doesn't contain all

the functions I need to get my job done. How can I extend FoxPro's dictionary of commands and functions?

A. A Library Construction Kit (LCK) for FoxPro for Macintosh, similar to the LCKs for MS-DOS and Windows, is available to      assist you. FoxPro for Macintosh accepts internal HyperCard(R) 1.0 commands (XCMDs) and functions (XFCNs). These code resources are written in a programming language such as C,      Pascal, or Assembler and are incorporated into FoxPro through a       special resource interface.

Anyone using the LCK should have a solid understanding of one or more of the these languages, as well as the Macintosh Toolbox, which is described in "Inside Macintosh", a      multivolume reference describing all the function calls available in both the Macintosh ROMs and the system software. This reference set is published by Addison-Wesley.

To specify the file that contains the code that FoxPro should load and call, use the SET XCMDFILE command described in the FoxPro "Language Reference." 6. Q. When I modify a database structure, why is the Picture

type unavailable?

A. Just as in FoxPro for MS-DOS and Windows, the picture type is      maintained for compatibility with FoxBASE+/Mac. All Picture type objects must now be incorporated into tables using object linking and embedding (OLE). 7. Q. What is object linking and embedding (OLE)?

A. OLE is a data-interchange technology developed by Microsoft that is prevalent in the Windows environment and available in      many applications on the Macintosh, such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel. OLE allows you to link or embed text, images, sound, and full-motion videos (QuickTime(TM) movies, for      example) into your FoxPro tables. OLE objects are stored in      general fields. For more information about OLE, see the "Developer's Guide." 8. Q. What are wizards?

A. Wizards are designed to make often-repeated tasks easier to      accomplish. Wizards are agents that, when invoked to perform a      task, ask you a small set of questions to accomplish what would ordinarily require a great deal of effort. Wizards are available for generating reports, screens, and, if you own the Distribution Kit, setting up floppy disks for distribution of      your application. The wizards can be invoked from the Run menu. 9. Q. The Program menu contains the Beautify command. What does

it do?

A. The Beautify command alters the appearance of program files so      that they are easier to read. For example, you can alter the case of keywords and variables and add indentation within procedures and DO CASE statements. You can also highlight a      program's organization by bracketing flow-control statements.

FoxPro Window Features
1. Q. Why can some windows in FoxPro be resized but others

can't?

A. FoxPro for Macintosh contains both windows you can size and windows you can't size. Windows that contain a text-editing region are sizable. Examples of sizable windows are the Command window, the Screen Design window, and the Report Layout window. These windows may contain scroll bars and a sizing box in the bottom-right corner of the window. Windows you can't size are usually dialog boxes that contain interface objects such as      push buttons. Examples of windows you can't size include the View and RQBE windows. 2. Q. Why doesn't the FoxPro desktop window contain scroll bars?

A. The FoxPro desktop window was not designed to be a scrollable window. 3. Q. Can I change the title of the FoxPro desktop window to

better suit my application?

A. The title of the FoxPro desktop window can be changed in two ways. The first is to include the "TITLE=" directive in the CONFIG.FPM file. For more information, see the "Installation      and Macintosh Features Guide." The other method is to use the MODIFY WINDOW command from within your application. For more information, see the "Language Reference." Remember that the name of the FoxPro desktop window is "screen."

To further customize your application, you can also change the About Microsoft FoxPro command on the Apple(R) menu. For more information, see the related commands SET APLABOUT and ON      APLABOUT in the "Language Reference." 4. Q. When I click a window to make it active and then issue a

command in the Command window, why doesn't the output for that command appear in the active window?

A. There is an important distinction between the active window and the output window. A window does not have to be active to be      the output window. The active window is the foremost window on      the desktop. No part of an active window is obscured by any other window. An active window also has one or more of the following characteristics: horizontal stripes across the title bar; a visible close, zoom, or size control; or scroll bars. Bear in mind that these attributes are not defined for some windows, such as modal dialog boxes. 5. Q. What does the check mark signify in the list of windows on

the Window menu?

A. The Window menu lists the currently defined windows. The "screen" (that is, the FoxPro desktop window) is always defined. The check mark appears next to the current output window. For more information about the output window, see the ACTIVATE WINDOW command and the WOUTPUT function in the "Language Reference." 6. Q. What happened to all the output windows available in

FoxBASE+(R) for the Macintosh?

A. FoxBASE+/Mac doesn't support user definition of output windows. It provides only nine screens to which output can be directed. In FoxPro for Macintosh, this limitation has been eliminated; the number of windows you can define is limited only by the amount of available memory. To create your own output windows, use DEFINE WINDOW and other related commands. Note that the SCREEN command in FoxBASE+/Mac has been supplanted in FoxPro by      the MODIFY WINDOW command. For more details, see the "Language      Reference." 7. Q. How can I hide all windows in front of the current output

window?

A. On the Macintosh, press COMMAND+OPTION+CTRL+SHIFT. Additional reference words: FoxMac 2.50b ivrfax fasttips appnote KBCategory: kbui kbprg kbfasttip kbappnote KBSubcategory:

Last Reviewed: December 12, 1996