Microsoft KB Archive/109068

= FastTips for FoxPro for Mac: Cross-Platform Q&A =

ID: Q109068

2.50B MACINTOSH kbinterop kbprg kbappnote kbfasttip

The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft FoxPro for Macintosh, version 2.5b

Microsoft(R) Technical Support Application Note (Text File) FC0957: CROSS-PLATFORM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Revision Date: 12/93 No Disk Included The following information applies to Microsoft FoxPro version 2.5 for Macintosh.

| 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.                                              |

NOTE: You must use a utility such as PC Exchange or Apple File Exchange in order to transfer Macintosh files to and from an MS-DOS formatted floppy disk. PC Exchange is available with System version 7.1.2. Apple File Exchange was available with versions of the Macintosh system.

1. Q. Can I run my FoxPro for MS-DOS and FoxPro for Windows

applications with FoxPro for Macintosh?

A. FoxPro version 2.5 is designed to be a cross-platform product. Aside from platform-specific features, the command set in FoxPro for Macintosh is identical to the command sets of FoxPro for MS-DOS and FoxPro for Windows. All objects (databases, screens,      reports, labels, menus, projects, queries, and so on) created in FoxPro version 2.5 can be transported, edited, and run between the Macintosh, MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows, and eventually, UNIX platforms. When you open an object created with FoxPro version 2.5 on one platform with FoxPro version 2.5 on another platform, FoxPro invokes a transport program, which asks if you would like to      convert the object to the current platform. 2. Q. Will my FoxBASE+(R) for the Macintosh application run in

FoxPro for Macintosh?

A. It is unlikely that your FoxBASE+/Mac application will run unmodified under FoxPro for Macintosh. The command set of      FoxPro has evolved significantly since FoxBASE(R) was developed. To ease the burden of converting to FoxPro for Macintosh, we have provided FB+MIGRATE.APP, a utility that can be used to 1) convert your FoxBASE+/Mac screens and reports for      editing in FoxPro for Macintosh, and 2) analyze your FoxBASE+/Mac programs, flag FoxBASE+/Mac commands that are no      longer supported in FoxPro for Macintosh, and suggest alternative commands that produce similar results in FoxPro for Macintosh. 3. Q. What are the advantages of using FoxPro for Macintosh over

FoxBASE+/Mac?

A. There are two main advantages to using FoxPro for Macintosh over FoxBASE+/Mac. First, FoxPro for Macintosh is a much more powerful database development environment than FoxBASE+/Mac. The FoxPro Menu Builder, Project Manager, Screen Builder, and Report Writer simplify application development and increase developer productivity. FoxPro's Relational Query By Example (RQBE) tool provides a user interface to simplify data retrieval and opens the door to the significant performance gains available through Rushmore(TM) technology. Second, FoxPro for Macintosh programs and objects are more compatible with FoxPro for MS-DOS and FoxPro for Windows than ever before. 4. Q. What are the disadvantages of upgrading to FoxPro for

Macintosh?

A. The two main disadvantages of upgrading to FoxPro for Macintosh are higher system requirements and conversion adjustments. Since FoxPro for Macintosh is more powerful and complex than FoxBASE+/Mac, it requires a more powerful machine to run. The following table illustrates the differences in system requirements between FoxBASE+/Mac and FoxPro for Macintosh.

System component      FoxBASE+/Mac requires  FoxPro for Mac requires Microprocessor        68000 or higher        68020 or higher System software       System 4.2 or later    System 7.0 or later Memory (RAM)          2 MB                   4 MB (8 MB recommended) Available disk space  At least 3 MB          At least 10 MB

The second main disadvantage is that FoxPro for Macintosh is      not completely backward compatible with FoxBASE+/Mac applications. However, the FB+MIGRATE.APP utility does simplify conversion. The combination of FoxPro's performance, flexibility, and additional development tools should make the conversion worthwhile. 5. Q. Why doesn't the ? FULLPATH(CURDIR) command

behave the same on the Macintosh as it does on the MS-DOS and Windows platforms?

A. The Macintosh doesn't treat volumes (a volume is the name of a      hard disk) the same way MS-DOS does. When you use the SET DEFAULT command to change directories on a particular volume in      MS-DOS, this information is saved even when you move to a       different volume. Any reference to one volume from another volume actually refers to the subdirectory last pointed to on      that volume. On the Macintosh, when you move from volume to      volume, your location within the hierarchy of a volume other than the one pointed to isn't maintained by the system; thus, the ? FULLPATH(CURDIR) command returns only the fully qualified path of the volume to which you are currently pointing. 6. Q. How are paths represented on the Macintosh?

A. On the Macintosh, volume and folder names, which make up a      fully qualified path, are normally delimited by colons. In      FoxPro for Macintosh, you can use the MS-DOS path conventions to ensure cross-platform compatibility. For example, "shiatsu:foxpro:tutorial" can be represented as      "shiatsu:\foxpro\tutorial." 7. Q. Macintosh volume names, which are up to 27 characters

long, can be somewhat cumbersome. Is there any way I can abbreviate them?

A. In addition to 27-character volume (hard disk) names, folders and files can have names up to 31 characters long. To      facilitate cross-platform compatibility with the MS-DOS and Windows environments, FoxPro for Macintosh includes a SET VOLUME command, which allows you to abbreviate the names of      volumes by using a single letter. Path names that consist of a      volume name and one or more folders can also be abbreviated with a single letter. See the FoxPro "Language Reference" or      online help system for more information about the SET VOLUME command. 8. Q. Will applications I built using TrueType(R) fonts look

okay on the Macintosh?

A. Yes. TrueType, a technology originally developed by Apple(R) and licensed to Microsoft to bridge the gap between the Macintosh and Windows environments, is incorporated into the System 7 architecture. The Setup disks that come with FoxPro for Macintosh include several TrueType fonts for the Macintosh that are commonly used by developers in the Windows environment. 9. Q. What happened to the Filer, Calendar, Puzzle, and

Calculator items found on the System menu in FoxPro for MS-DOS?

A. The System menu in FoxPro for MS-DOS was largely included to      emulate the Apple menu on the Macintosh. However, in the Macintosh and Windows environments, these tools are largely redundant, since they are incorporated as desk accessories on      the Macintosh and as applications (with the exception of the       Puzzle) in Windows. For cross-platform compatibility, you can access the native FoxPro utilities from the Command window. Additional reference words: FoxMac 2.50b ivrfax fasttips appnote KBCategory: kbinterop kbprg kbappnote kbfasttip KBSubcategory:

Keywords         : kbenv kbappnote kbfasttip kbinterop kbprg Version          : 2.50B Platform         : MACINTOSH Last Reviewed: May 12, 1998