Microsoft KB Archive/109069

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

ID: Q109069

The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft FoxPro for Macintosh, version 2.5b

Microsoft(R) Technical Support Application Note (Text File) FC0958: INTERFACE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PLATFORMS 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    |
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 * 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    |
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 * 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 Differences
1. Q. What is QuickTime(TM)?

A. QuickTime is a technology developed by Apple Computer that allows the display of real-time animated sequences, commonly referred to as movies, in a standard format on Macintosh computers. QuickTime is similar to Microsoft Video for Windows, the technology available on the Windows platform. QuickTime movie clips can be stored in a general field of any FoxPro for Macintosh table. QuickTime requires the QuickTime system software extension available from Apple Computer. 2. Q. Is there a Macintosh substitute for dynamic data exchange

(DDE)?

A. AppleScript(TM), Apple's official language for program-to- program communication, is a high-level, object-oriented language akin to HyperTalk(R), Apple's scripting language for HyperCard(R). AppleScripts work in conjunction with Apple events, a discrete set of commands and functions that describe how programs can work together on Macintosh computers running System 7.

FoxPro for Macintosh supports the required set of Apple events- -open application, open document, print document, and quit application. FoxPro for Macintosh also supports the Do Script event, which allows other applications that support this event to tell FoxPro to perform almost any action. FoxPro for Macintosh supports the running of compiled scripts through the RUN SCRIPT command. For more information about AppleScript, contact the Apple Programmer's and Developer's Association (APDA). To learn more about Apple events, see "Inside      Macintosh". For more information about the RUN SCRIPT command, see the FoxPro for Macintosh "Language Reference." 3. Q. Can I replace the text editor provided with FoxPro for

Macintosh with my own the way I can in FoxPro for MS-DOS and Windows using the TEDIT= setting in my CONFIG.FP or      CONFIG.FPW file?

A. TEDIT is not supported in FoxPro for Macintosh. However, you can use the options found in the Edit Preferences dialog box to      customize the FoxPro editor.

If you still want to use a different editor, try using System 7's task-switching ability. With enough RAM, you can edit your programs in the editor of your choice and switch back to FoxPro when you want to test your code. To switch between applications, either click a window belonging to the destination application, or choose the appropriate icon from the list of applications in the Application menu in the upper- right corner of the system menu bar, next to the Help menu. 4. Q. Does FoxPro for Macintosh support Windows .BMP files?

A. FoxPro for Macintosh lets you view .BMP files or convert them to PICT files for editing in an appropriate graphics editor. PICT is the universal picture file format supported most extensively on the Macintosh. You can view both picture formats by storing the data in the general field of a FoxPro table, or      by using the Picture tool in the Report Writer or Screen Builder. FoxPro for Macintosh does not support the editing of      pictures, only their display and storage. 5. Q. What's an alias?

A. A Macintosh alias, a feature available with System 7, simplifies access to Finder(TM) objects (folders and files). An      alias is simply a pointer to the actual object, which may be       buried deeply in the folder hierarchy of your hard disk. It is      often convenient to place aliases of commonly accessed files on       the Macintosh desktop. The operating system finds and opens the actual object to which the alias points.

To create a Macintosh alias, select the desired object in the Finder. From the File menu, choose Make Alias. A new object is      created, about 2K in size, which can be moved virtually anywhere (including across a network) as a representative of      the original object.

FoxPro commands like DO, USE, and SET DEFAULT TO do not recognize these aliases. Selecting an alias from within a      dialog box, however, will open the original file since the dialog box contains the necessary code to resolve the alias.

FoxPro Window Differences
1. Q. Why do the windows in FoxPro for Macintosh have different-

style controls compared with the windows in FoxPro for MS-DOS and FoxPro for Windows?

A. FoxPro for Macintosh has been designed to conform to the Apple(R) human interface guidelines for the Apple desktop interface. The book titled, "Human Interface Guidelines: The      Apple Desktop Interface" (published by Addison-Wesley) describes these rules. Following its guidelines ensures that all applications designed for the Macintosh have the same look and feel, so that once you learn one application it is      relatively easy to pick up another. 2. Q. Why can't I minimize FoxPro for Macintosh like I can

FoxPro for Windows?

A. The Macintosh interface does not provide a control to minimize a window. Consequently, the MINIMIZE clause of the DEFINE WINDOW command does not operate in FoxPro for Macintosh.

The Macintosh interface does, however, provide a control in the upper-right corner of a window to maximize the window or reduce it to its previous dimensions, a control in the lower-right corner to size the window, and a control in the upper-left corner to close the window.

To hide a window, select the window by clicking it or choosing it from the Window menu. Then choose Hide from the Window menu. 3. Q. Why doesn't the FoxPro Desktop window display the sizing

control when it is the active window?

A. According to the Apple human interface guidelines, you can define a window with such attributes. However, a design decision was made to provide the user with the maximum amount of desktop space. If the grow icon were included, you would lose several pixels for the display of your own objects. 4. Q. Why aren't my user-defined windows restricted to the

FoxPro for Macintosh Desktop window like they are in FoxPro for MS-DOS and FoxPro for Windows?

A. In FoxPro for MS-DOS and FoxPro for Windows, windows are related to and limited by the boundaries of their "parent" window. DEFINE WINDOW and other commands create "child" windows that are "clipped" at the window boundaries of the main Desktop window. On the Macintosh, all windows reside on the Macintosh desktop, which means that you can move them beyond the boundaries of any other window, including the FoxPro Desktop window. A new system setting has been incorporated into FoxPro for Macintosh, allowing more flexibility in the placement of      windows in the Macintosh environment. This property is      controlled by the MACDESKTOP setting. By default, the MACDESKTOP setting is ON, so windows you define can be      positioned anywhere on the Macintosh desktop. To emulate the MS-DOS and Windows platform behavior, issue the following command in the Command window:

SET MACDESKTOP OFF

NOTE: The MDI and NO MDI clauses of the DEFINE WINDOW command do not operate in FoxPro for Macintosh. 5. Q. Can I get the FoxPro for Macintosh status bar to restrict

itself to the FoxPro desktop window?

A. By default, the status bar in FoxPro for Macintosh appears across the bottom of the monitor, as opposed to across the bottom of the FoxPro desktop window. To emulate the MS-DOS and Windows products, use the SET STATUS ON command. This displays the MS-DOS-style status bar within the FoxPro desktop window.

Keyboard Differences
1. Q. Why do some of the keyboard shortcuts in FoxPro for

Macintosh differ from their FoxPro for MS-DOS and FoxPro for Windows counterparts?

A. Macintosh keyboard shortcuts represent traditional Macintosh features combined with the cross-platform functionality of the MS-DOS and Windows systems. The COMMAND key, which often has the picture of the Apple logo and a clover-leaf on it, is      usually equivalent to the CTRL key on IBM(R) personal computers. The OPTION key is sometimes equivalent to the ALT key on IBM personal computers. Although the Apple extended keyboard contains a set of twelve function keys across the top, some earlier Apple keyboards lack these keys. You can emulate the function keys through a combination of the CTRL and numeric keys. For example, you can use the key combination CTRL+1 in      place of pressing the F1 key.

The Apple user interface guidelines define a set of keyboard shortcuts that should work the same way in all applications. Perhaps the most confusing and seemingly contradictory example of this is COMMAND+O. The equivalent key sequence on the MS-DOS and Windows platforms, CTRL+O, executes the program or query in      the active window. On the Macintosh, FoxPro maintains consistency with all other standard Macintosh applications by      invoking the Open File dialog box unless a program or query is       in the active window, in which case the query or program is       executed. 2. Q. How can I emulate the MS-DOS and Windows ALT key on the

Macintosh?

A. To emulate the ALT key, press CTRL+OPTION. 3. Q. How can I make FoxPro for Macintosh better emulate the way

I'm used to navigating, selecting, and using hot keys on the MS-DOS and Windows platforms?

A. You can set FoxPro for Macintosh to emulate MS-DOS and Windows key combinations by using the SET KEYCOMP command. This command affects keyboard and menu navigation. The default KEYCOMP setting is MAC. For more information about the SET KEYCOMP command, see the "Language Reference." Online Help Differences

1. Q. How can I get online help about FoxPro for Macintosh?

A. There are many ways to access the Microsoft Help system for FoxPro for Macintosh. You can press the F1 key, type HELP in      the Command window and press the RETURN key, or choose Microsoft FoxPro Help from the balloon menu in the upper-right corner of the system menu bar.

In addition to the Microsoft Help system, FoxPro also takes advantage of Balloon Help(TM), a System 7 feature that supplies information about screen objects. When Balloon Help is active, a cartoon-like caption bubble or balloon appears, containing information about the object to which you are pointing. To      activate or deactivate the display of balloons, choose Show Balloons or Hide Balloons from the Help menu. Balloon Help is      an aid for learning about the various interface features in the Macintosh environment. You may find it useful as you learn about the various user-interface objects in the Macintosh graphical environment. 2. Q. FoxPro for Macintosh includes a Windows-style help system.

Is there any way to access the .DBF-style help system I used in      FoxPro for MS-DOS?

A. By default, FoxPro for Macintosh uses the Windows-style help system. To access the .DBF-style help system, issue the following command:

SET HELP TO FOXHELP.DBF

Press the F1 key or choose Contents from the Help menu to open the .DBF-style help system.

To return to the Windows-style help system, issue the following command:

SET HELP TO FOXHELP.HLP

To change the default help system to the .DBF-style help system, add the following statement to your CONFIG.FPM file:

HELP = FOXHELP.DBF Additional reference words: FoxMac 2.50b ivrfax fasttips KBCategory: kbprg kbfasttip kbappnote KBSubcategory:

Last Reviewed: December 12, 1996