FoxPro 2.6 for Windows: Most Frequently Asked QuestionsID: Q112568
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Installation
Cross-Platform
Screen Builder
Printer Drivers
PART 1: INSTALLATION
====================
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
======================
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
======================
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
=================================
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 <driver name> 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 <Driver Name> Command:
Issue a SET PRINTER TO command to clear the print buffer of all open
print commands.
Issue a SET PDSETUP TO <driver name> 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 <filename> 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 <filename> TO <printer port>.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 <driver_name> 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 <driver_name> 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 <driver_name> command with character-
based reports that were created in FoxPro for MS-DOS.
NOTE: The SET PDSETUP <driver_name> 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 : Last Reviewed: July 29, 1999