Microsoft KB Archive/112568

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft FoxPro for Windows, version 2.6

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This article contains answers to frequently asked questions about Microsoft FoxPro version 2.6 for Windows. This article is divided into four sections: Installation

Cross-Platform

Screen Builder

Printer Drivers PART 1: INSTALLATION

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1. Q. What are the minimum files required to run FoxPro?

A. Not all files placed on the hard disk during installation of FoxPro are absolutely required for operation of the product.

The minimum files needed to run FoxPro version 2.6, use the menu and screen generators, and set printer drivers are listed below.

NOTE: Upon startup, FoxPro will create FOXUSER.DBF and FOXUSER.FPT files, and upon screen or menu generation, it will create the appropriate .FXP files.

Filename        Bytes      Comments -

FOXPROW.EXE   2498282 TRANSPRT.PRG   390203      Only needed if you are converting files from FoxPro version 2.0 for MS-DOS or want to create cross- platform applications. GENSCRN.PRG    292613 GENPD.APP      374351 FOXTOOLS.FLL    58530 GENMENU.PRG     57019 PSAPI.FLL       27668 DRIVER2.FLL     17876 GENXTAB.PRG     29246 RESERVED.FLL    12764

PART 2: CROSS-PLATFORM

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1. Q. Why doesn't my low-level file I/O program work in FoxPro for Windows?

A. FoxPro for Windows cannot access the COM ports with the low-level file commands.

This fact is mentioned in the documentation for the FOPEN command, but many people who are accustomed to opening a port in FoxPro for MS-DOS may test this function and think it doesn't work correctly.

This behavior is not a bug--it is part of the product's design. In      the Windows multitasking environment, other applications besides FoxPro may also be using the COM ports. Therefore, it is not desirable to allow a Windows-based application to take exclusive control of the communications port.

Access to the COM port is provided through FOXTOOLS.FLL and the Windows API calls. For an example of how to use the COM port under the Windows environment, see the DIALER.PRG file in the FOXPROW\GOODIES\FOXTOOLS subdirectory.

The use of the REGFN and CALLFN functions is documented in the FOXTOOLS.WRI file in the same directory as the DIALER.PRG example.

For information about specific API calls, refer to the Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) documentation.

PART 3: SCREEN BUILDER

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1. Q. How do I coordinate Browse windows with screens?

A. Page D2-96 of the FoxPro for Windows "Developer's Guide" and page D2-90 of the FoxPro for MS-DOS "Developers Guide" give samples for coordinating Browse windows with screens but omit the SAVE clause in      the example. If the optional BROWSE parameter SAVE is omitted, the Browse window will close as soon as any other object is clicked.

The code examples should be changed to read as follows:

IF NOT WVISIBLE("Client List") BROWSE NORMAL NOWAIT NODELETE LAST TITLE "Client List" ; NOAPPEND NOMENU SAVE FIELDS company ; WHEN showgets ENDIF

IF NOT WVISIBLE("Account Details") SELECT details BROWSE NORMAL NOWAIT NODELETE LAST TITLE "Client List" ; NOAPPEND NOMENU SAVE ; FIELDS ; Trans_type:10, ; Trans_date:10, ; Amt:7,Service SELECT clients ENDIF

2. Q. Are the keyboard shortcuts for the FoxPro for Windows Screen Builder documented?

A. FoxPro for Windows requires a mouse. In a graphical environment such as Windows, the mouse provides a more effective means of locating and/or moving objects than the keyboard does.

To complete the transition from designing with the keyboard to      designing with the mouse, icons have been added for every tool in       the Screen Builder. These icons take the place of the menu shortcuts that exist in FoxPro for MS-DOS.

PART 4: PRINTER DRIVER QUESTIONS

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1. Q. How do I use @ ... SAY Commands and control codes to print in FoxPro for Windows?

A. FoxPro for Windows cannot send control codes directly to a printer using a Windows printer driver. There are two techniques you can use to work around this:

- Open the printer in "raw mode," bypassing the Windows printer driver and communicating directly with the printer.

-or-

- Write all output to a text file, then copy the text file to a         printer port.

Writing FoxPro for Windows programs that send control codes directly to a printer is not normally recommended. Only use these techniques when adapting existing FoxPro for MS-DOS code that sends control codes to the printer.

The following examples send control codes to switch an Epson FX-80 dot-matrix printer's compressed mode on and off.

NOTE: When using these techniques, do not use any of the ? or ?? commands for output. Only use @ ... SAY commands.

Technique 1: Open the Printer in Raw Mode -

There are two ways to open the printer in raw mode:

- Use the ??? " " command.

-or-

- Use the SET PDSETUP TO command.

Use the ??? " " Command:

Issue SET DEVICE TO PRINT and SET PRINTER TO commands to turn off all open print commands.

Issue a ??? " " command to open the printer in raw mode.

Issue @ ... SAY commands to send control codes and text to the printer.

After printing, issue a SET PRINTER TO command to flush the print buffer and return control to the Windows printer driver.

SET PRINTER TO         SET PDSETUP TO "Epson" SET PRINTER ON         SET DEVICE TO PRINT

@ 1, 0 SAY 'NORMAL text' @ 2, 0 SAY CHR(15)   && Control code to turn compressed mode on          @ 2, 0 SAY  'CONDENSED text' @ 3, 0 SAY CHR(18)   && Control code to turn compressed mode off @ 3, 0 SAY 'normal again'

SET DEVICE TO SCREEN SET PRINTER OFF SET PRINTER TO

NOTE: In some circumstances, the last @ ... SAY command may not print. If this problem occurs, add an additional @ ... SAY command that prints a blank line (so that the lost line is just a blank).

Use the SET PDSETUP TO  Command:

Issue a SET PRINTER TO command to clear the print buffer of all open print commands.

Issue a SET PDSETUP TO command to open the printer in      raw mode. You MUST already have an existing FoxPro version 2.0, 2.5, or 2.6 for MS-DOS printer driver in the current resource file.

NOTE: The important property of this command is that setting a      FoxPro for MS-DOS printer driver opens the printer in raw mode. The printer driver itself is not used to control printing (that is done      though control codes). In fact, any FoxPro for MS-DOS printer driver can be used.

Issue a SET DEVICE TO PRINTER command to direct the @ ... SAY commands to the printer.

Issue @ ... SAY commands to send control codes and text to the printer.

After printing, issue a SET DEVICE TO SCREEN command to redirect the output to the screen.

Issue a SET PRINTER TO command to flush the print buffer and return control to the Windows printer driver.

The following code demonstrates these steps:

SET PRINTER TO         SET PDSETUP TO "Epson" SET DEVICE TO PRINT

@ 1, 0 SAY 'NORMAL text' @ 2, 0 SAY CHR(15) && Control code to turn compressed mode on          @ 2, 0 SAY  'CONDENSED text' @ 3, 0 SAY CHR(18) && Control code to turn compressed mode on          @ 3, 0 SAY 'normal again'

SET DEVICE TO SCREEN SET PRINT TO

Technique 2: Write to Text File and Copy to Printer Port

Issue a SET DEVICE TO FILE command to direct output to a      file.

Issue @ ... SAY commands to send control codes or text to the printer.

Issue a SET DEVICE TO SCREEN command to redirect output to the screen.

Issue a SET SAFETY OFF command so FoxPro for Windows does not confirm copying the output file to the printer port (which it      believes to be a file).

Issue a COPY FILE TO .DOS command to copy the output file to the printer port.

Issue a SET SAFETY ON command to turn safety on again.

The following code demonstrates these steps:

SET DEVICE TO FILE output.prn

@ 1,0 SAY 'NORMAL text' @ 2,0 SAY CHR(15) && Control code to turn compressed mode on         @ 2,0 SAY 'CONDENSED text' @ 3, 0 SAY CHR(18) && Control code to turn compressed mode off @ 3, 0 SAY 'Back to normal text'

SET DEVICE TO SCREEN SET SAFETY OFF COPY FILE output.prn TO lpt1.dos SET SAFETY ON

When Windows prints to a file named LPT1.DOS, MS-DOS interprets the request to open the file LPT1.DOS as a request to send data to the printer port, and it sends the data out through its own printing handler. Because Windows thinks that LPT1.DOS is an MS-DOS file, the Print Manager is not used.

2. Q. How can I edit an existing MS-DOS-style printer driver or create a       new one?

A. In FoxPro for Windows, the SET PDSETUP TO  command selects only an existing MS-DOS-style printer driver. It cannot edit an existing MS-DOS-style printer driver or create a new one.

To use the SET PDSETUP TO  command in FoxPro for Windows, the current resource file (by default FOXUSER.DBF and its      associated memo file, FOXUSER.FPT) must already have an MS-DOS-style printer driver loaded. This MS-DOS-style printer driver must have been previously created by FoxPro for MS-DOS.

FoxPro for Windows normally uses Windows printer drivers for all of      its printing. Windows printer drivers are modified through the Windows Control Panel.

Only use the SET PDSETUP TO  command with character- based reports that were created in FoxPro for MS-DOS.

NOTE: The SET PDSETUP  command has no effect on Windows printer drivers.

3. Q. How can I invoke the Windows Printer Driver Setup dialog box from a       program?

A. There are two methods to invoke the Windows Printer Driver Setup dialog box:

- The first method is to use the new function SYS(1037).

SYS(1037) is for use in FoxPro for Windows and Macintosh 2.6x. SYS(1037) displays the Print Setup dialog box, allowing you to         make adjustments to printer settings such as the paper size and orientation. The settings you can adjust in this dialog box depend on the printer driver you've installed. You can also choose Print Setup from the File menu to display the FoxPro Print Setup dialog box.

NOTE: SYS(1037) always returns a null string.

- The second method is to use a RUN command. The following example illstrates this:

RUN /N control printers

NOTE: This command will not work with Windows version 3.0. For example, the RUN /N CONTROL.EXE PRINTERS command will only run the Control Panel in Windows 3.0; it will not open the Printer Setup dialog box. Additional query words: FoxWin q&a XPlatForm SBuilder

Keywords         : kbcode kbsetup FxotherGeneral Version          : 2.60 Platform         : WINDOWS Issue type       :
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