FoxPro 2.6 for MS-DOS: Most Frequently Asked QuestionsID: Q112567
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Installation
Network Issues
Printing Issues
Screens
PART 1: INSTALLATION
====================
1. Q. I get the error message "Cannot Create <Path>\FOXPRO.EXE" during
installation. How can I correct this problem?
A. One possible cause is that FOXPRO.EXE or FOXPROX.EXE already exists
in that directory and it is marked read-only.
In order for the Setup program to perform a successful installation,
you must either rename the .EXE file or mark it as read/write. To
mark the file as read/write, use the MS-DOS command ATTRIB -R
<path>\FOXPRO.EXE to remove the Read-Only attribute from the file.
2. 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. FoxPro version
2.6 for MS-DOS can be started with only two files: FOXPRO.EXE and
FOXPRO.OVL. For the Extended (32 bit) version, these two files can
be replaced by only one, FOXPROX.EXE.
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
-------------------------------------------------------------
DRIVER2.PLB 13277
FOXSWAP.COM 5971 Only needed for standard version.
GENMENU.PRG 49909
GENPD.APP 374351
GENSCRN.PRG 292613
GENXTAB.PRG 29246 Only needed for cross tabulation.
PSAPI.PLB 24451
TRANSPRT.PRG 390203 Only needed if you are converting
files from 2.0 or want to create
cross-platform applications.
FOXPRO.EXE 411599
FOXPRO.OVL 1424976
3. Q. A "CRC Error" occurs during Setup. How can I correct this error?
A. When reading a disk, MS-DOS performs a cyclical redundancy check
(CRC) to verify disk sectors. The CRC is a sophisticated parity
check of the data in each sector and will detect most data errors,
such as lost or scrambled bits.
To determine if there is a problem with the disks:
1. Attempt the installation a second time.
2. Install on a "clean" (minimal) configuration.
3. Install on another machine to verify there is not a hardware
problem.
4. Copy the floppy disks to a temporary directory on the hard disk
and run the Setup program from this temporary directory.
If the installation still fails, call Microsoft Technical Support
for assistance.
4. Q. When I'm running the INSTALL /N command, I get the error message
"File 'ADDUSER.APP' Does Not Exist." How can I correct this problem?
A. The INSTALL /N command was not issued from the directory containing
the Administrative Installation (INSTALL /A) of FoxPro.
After a Workstation Installation completes the Basic portion of its
installation, it calls the FoxPro program ADDUSER.APP to configure
the workstation for the network environment. In order for FoxPro to
load and run ADDDUSER.APP, the current directory must be the
Administrative Installation directory.
Even if the Administrative Installation directory is on the MS-DOS
search path, allowing FoxPro itself to start, because ADDUSER.APP is
not an MS-DOS executable program (.COM or .EXE), it cannot be
located on the path, thus causing the error message.
5. Q. The Configuration portion of INSTALL /N fails. How can I correct
this problem?
A. The command, "INSTALL /N" (without the quotation marks) was not
issued from the directory containing the Administrative Installation
(INSTALL /A) of FoxPro.
Go to the drive and directory containing the Administrative
Installation of FoxPro, then reissue the INSTALL /N command.
After a Workstation Installation completes the Basic portion of its
installation, it calls the FoxPro program ADDUSER.APP to configure
the workstation for the network environment. In order for FoxPro to
load and run ADDDUSER.APP, the current directory must be the
Administrative Installation directory.
The error received depends on which directory you started INSTALL /N
from, and whether you are running it from an MS-DOS prompt in
Windows, or at MS-DOS itself.
6. Q. Why does INSTALL /N prompt for a floppy disk?
A. The INSTALL /N command was not issued from the Administrative
Installation directory.
To avoid this problem, use one of the following workarounds.
Workaround 1: Go to the Administrative Installation Directory
-------------------------------------------------------------
Go to the Administrative Installation directory, and then type the
command "INSTALL /N" (without the quotation marks).
For example, assuming the Administrative Installation is located in
a directory named N:\ADMIN, type the following commands at the
MS-DOS prompt:
n:
cd\admin
install /n
Workaround 2: Use SUBST to Reassign the Letter of the Local Drive
-----------------------------------------------------------------
If for testing or other purposes you require that the Administrative
Installation be located on a local hard disk and you do not want to
issue the INSTALL /N command from the Administrative Installation
directory, use the MS-DOS SUBST command to reassign the directory
containing the Administrative Installation to another drive letter.
For example, assuming the Administrative Installation is located in
a directory named C:\ADMIN and you want to create a Workstation
Installation in a directory named C:\WORKSTA, type the following at
the MS-DOS prompt:
subst n: c:\admin
c:
cd\worksta
n:\install /n
The Workstation Installation requires a previous Administrative
Installation. Even though it prompts for a floppy disk, the
Workstation Installation cannot be performed using the Installation
floppy disks.
PART 2: NETWORK ISSUES
======================
1. Q. I get a "File Access Denied" error message when writing to file. How
can I correct this problem?
A. The steps you must use to resolve this problem depends on the
network product you are using.
For a LANtastic network, do the following:
1. Check the files and locks settings for the SHARE command in the
AUTOEXEC.BAT file. The recommended settings are as follows:
share /f:5120 /l:500
NOTE: This command uses a lowercase "L", not a number 1.
2. Verify that the .EXE, .RSC, and .OVL files are marked read-only.
If necessary, change the security using the MS-DOS ATTRIB command
(for example, ATTRIB +R <filename>).
3. Make sure that the CONFIG.FP file on the server redirects the
OVERLAY= statement to a directory other than the directory
containing the FOXPRO.EXE file.
For a Novell network, do the following:
1. Check the user's privileges.
2. Have the user log in as a supervisor and repeat the operation.
3. Make sure that the .EXE, .ESO and .ESL files are marked read-
only. If necessary, change the security using the MS-DOS ATTRIB
command (ATTRIB +R <filename>).
LANtastic and Novell are manufactured by vendors independent of
Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding
these products' performance or reliability.
2. Q. How do I resolve the "Sharing Violation Reading Drive" error?
A. The following are six troubleshooting steps for this error:
- Verify that each user has a FOXUSER.DBF file.
- Verify that the CONFIG.FP file on the server includes the
EXCLUSIVE=OFF statement. If EXCLUSIVE=OFF is used, database files
can be shared.
- Verify that the CONFIG.FP file on the server includes the
RESOURCE=OFF statement, or that each user's FOXUSER.DBF and
FOXUSER.FPT files are marked read-only.
- If you are using FoxPro version 2.6 for MS-DOS, verify that the
FOXPRO.EXE, FOXPROX.EXE, and FOXR.EXE files are marked read-only.
- If you use the Distribution Kit to create a stand-alone
application, verify that the .EXE files are marked read-only.
- If you create compact executable files, mark the .ESL and .ESO
files read-only.
- In some cases, the MS-DOS SHARE program must be loaded on the
server and on each workstation. Specify the /F and /L parameters
as follows:
share /f:5120 /l:500
NOTE: This command uses a lowercase "L", not a number 1.
PART 3: PRINTING ISSUES
=======================
1. Q. How do I start a print job from a page other than page 1?
A. To start a print job at a location other than page 1, set _PBPAGE to
the number of the page at which printing should start and create a
program that uses the PRINTJOB ... ENDPRINTJOB commands.
Using the _PBPAGE variable to specify the page number where a print
job starts does not work outside the PRINTJOB ... ENDPRINTJOB
structure.
For example, suppose your printer jammed on page 75 of a 100-page
report and all output from page 75 through 100 was lost. The code to
re-create the last 25 pages is as follows:
_PBPAGE=75
PRINTJOB
REPORT FORM C:\FOXPRO2\test.FRX ;
ENVIRONMENT PDSETUP TO PRINT
ENDPRINTJOB
If you wanted to print only page 75, then set "_PBPAGE=75" and
"_PEPAGE=75" in the previous example.
2. Q. I am having problems printing labels on a laser printer without
using a printer driver. How can I correct this problem?
A. Printing labels to a Hewlett-Packard (HP) laser printer without
using a printer driver requires that certain escape codes be sent to
the printer before the command to print the labels.
\*
\* MSINTERNAL: Specific Avery Label size information should remain
\* MSINTERNAL and not for PUBLIC viewing.
\*
\* For example, Avery 5161 or 5261 labels measure 1-by-4 inches. One page
\* of labels has two columns of ten labels each.
To print a label type of 1- by 4-inch labels contained on a two
column by ten row label sheet, execute code similar to the
following:
SET PDSETUP TO
??? CHR(27)+'E' && Reset
??? CHR(27)+'&l8.00C' && Line height 8/48" (LPI 6)
??? CHR(27)+'&l3E' && Top margin 3 lines
??? CHR(27)+'&l56P' && Page length 60 lines
LABEL FORM <labelname> TO PRINTER
SET PRINTER TO
NOTE: The escape code lines that contain an ampersand (&) use a
lowercase "L", not a number 1.
In the label generator, use the following settings:
Margin - 3
Width - 34
Number across - 2
Height - 6
Lines between - 0
The above settings are only an example and may need to be modified
for specific labels, printers, and applications. For exact escape
code sequences, see your printer's manual.
3. Q. I get the error message "Cannot Write to Read-Only File" when
printing a report. How can I correct this problem?
A. Given the following circumstances, the error message "Cannot Write
to a Read-Only File" will occur when you try to print a report from
within an application (.APP) or an executable (.EXE) program:
- The resource file is included in the project.
- The resource is set to the included filename.
- The REPORT FORM <name> PDSETUP TO PRINT or LABEL FORM <name>
PDSETUP TO PRINT command is issued.
There are two ways to avoid this problem:
- Remove PDSETUP from the command.
-or-
- Mark the resource file as excluded and ship it along with the
.APP or .EXE file.
4. Q. I get an extra blank line when printing labels. How can I correct
this problem?
A. This behavior existed in dBASE III and FoxBASE. It was changed in
FoxPro version 1.02. However, to maintain compatibility with the
large installed base of Xbase applications, a design decision was
made to revert to the original behavior.
To work around this behavior, print the label form to a file, open
the file with low-level file functions, remove the carriage
return/linefeed (CR/LF) characters and send the file to the printer
using the MS-DOS COPY command. For example:
* Set the number of lines printed per page and print to a file.
_PLENGTH=56
LABEL FORM <form name> ENVIRONMENT PDSETUP TO FILE temp.txt
* Open file and replace the CR/LF pair with null characters.
filehand=FOPEN('temp.txt',2)
=FGETS(filehand)
=FSEEK(filehand,-2,1)
=FWRITE(filehand,chr(0)+chr(0))
=FCLOSE(filehand)
* Copy the file to printer and prevent the appearance of the
* MS-DOS screen.
HIDE WINDOW SAVE ALL
RUN COPY temp.txt LPT1 > NUL
SHOW WINDOW ALL
5. Q. I have NewPage and ResetPage enabled in my data grouping, but my
page numbering is not reset to 1. How can I correct this problem?
A. The report has a Bottom Margin setting greater than 0 (zero).
Set Bottom Margin to 0 and add the necessary lines to the Page
Footer band. For example, if Bottom Margin is set to 2, reset it to
0 and add two lines to the Page Footer band.
6. Q. I get the error message "File ["<File>"] Does Not Exist" when
printing on a LAN Manager network. How do I correct this problem?
A. When the program attempts to open a file, it looks in a particular
directory. If it does not find the file there it tries other
directories until the file is found. When LAN Manager's "chartime"
timer (which defaults to 250 milliseconds) expires, it sends a spool
close message to the workstation, and if the program is in the
middle of a search for the next file to open, the program exits
incorrectly with the error mentioned above.
If the chartime parameter in the LANMAN.INI file for the workstation
is set to a sufficiently high value, the program will not be
interrupted by the spool close message and will work correctly.
In LAN Manager version 2.1, the chartime parameter controls the
amount of time the spooler waits for additional print data before
closing the current spool file and printing it. In earlier versions
of LAN Manager, this parameter controls the amount of time to wait
for pipe data or comm queue data.
For more information about the chartime parameter and the LANMAN.INI
file, refer to the LAN Manager documentation or contact Microsoft
LAN Manager Technical Support.
See also page 225 in the Microsoft LAN Manager "Administrator's
Reference" for version 2.1.
PART 4: SCREENS
===============
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; however, the SAVE clause
has been omitted from the examples. If the optional BROWSE parameter
SAVE is omitted, the Browse window will close as soon as any other
object is clicked.
To avoid this behavior, change the code examples 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. How can I page through a format file that contains a READ command?
A. Pressing the PAGE UP and PAGE DOWN keys skips one record at a time,
forward or backward, in the database and also refreshes the GETs on
the screen.
You can place objects on different pages or different screens by
placing a READ command in the format file. The READ command should
be placed after the last GET that would appear on each screen. The
following format file example places two objects on the first screen
and two more on the second screen. To display the objects that are
on the next screen, press the PAGE UP or PAGE DOWN key.
@5,1 GET <var1>
@6,1 GET <var2>
READ
@5,1 GET <var3>
@6,1 GET <var4>
3. Q. The Cycle command does not work for desktop screens. How can I
correct this?
A. The Cycle command on the Window menu is designed to switch between
windows defined on the desktop. When a screen set contains several
windows and a desktop screen, Cycle stops on the desktop screen.
This is normal behavior, since the Cycle command is intended to be
used with window screens, not the desktop.
To work around this behavior, define a window with no borders
instead of using a desktop screen. This will produce a window that
looks like the desktop.
The Cycle command is used for cycling through window screens in a
screen set or windows defined on the desktop. The shortcut key
CTRL+F1 can also be used to cycle through windows on the desktop. Additional query words: FoxDos Q&A novel
Keywords :
Version : 2.60
Platform : MS-DOS
Issue type : Last Reviewed: July 29, 1999