How to Customize the Visual FoxPro Environment

• Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, versions 3.0, 5.0

SUMMARY

You can customize the Visual FoxPro environment by using a configuration file, the Options dialog box, or a combination of both. Visual FoxPro provides two optional startup switches. The switches are used to prevent the display of the sign-on screen and to point to a configuration file. This article explains how to use Visual FoxPro Startup options.

Information in this article is also available in the Visual FoxPro Help file under "Setting the Environment."

MORE INFORMATION

Using Visual FoxPro Startup Options

You can customize the Visual FoxPro environment by using a configuration file, the Options dialog, or a combination of both. Some environment settings are SET commands or system variables. The values of the settings are stored either for the current data session or as startup defaults in the system registry or resource file.

Visual FoxPro provides two optional startup switches. The switches are used to:

  - Prevent the display of the sign-on screen.

  - Point to a configuration file.

Suppressing the Sign-on Screen Display

The sign-on screen displays the Visual FoxPro logo and product registration information. You might want to suppress this information for your own applications.

To prevent the display of the sign-on screen:

  Add the -T switch to the Visual FoxPro command line.

  VFP.EXE -T

Specifying a Configuration File

To specify a configuration file:

  Add the -C switch plus the path and file name of the configuration file
  to the command line. Don't put any space between the switch and the path
  information. For example, to point to a configuration file in C:\Myapp,
  use this command line:

  VFP.EXE -CC:\MYAPP\CONFIG.FPW

  -or -

  If applicable, add the following line to your Autoexec.bat file:

  SET FOXPROWCFG=C:\MYAPP\CONFIG.FPW

Displaying Settings

Once Visual FoxPro is running, you can verify environment settings by using the Options dialog box or the DISPLAY STATUS command or by displaying the values of individual SET commands.

To display multiple environment settings:

  Open the Tools Options dialog box, and view the current settings.

  -or-

  Type DISPLAY STATUS in the Command window.

  Use the SET() function in the Command window to display the current
  value of any SET Command. For example, to view the current status of SET
  TALK, type:

  ? SET('TALK')

  -or-

  Use the SET('TALK) function in the Debug window without the Print command
  (?).

Saving Settings

To save current data session settings:

1. In the Options dialog box, make setting choices.

2. Click OK.

To save default settings:

1. In the Options dialog box, make setting changes.

2. Click the Set As Default button.

Echoing Settings

Settings are only valid for the current data session, so you might want to capture your settings and place them in a program or in a form's Init event code. One way to do this is to echo the settings to the Command window, and then copy and paste them to another location.

To echo Options dialog box settings to the Command window:

1. In the Options dialog box, make setting choices.

2. Hold down the SHIFT key, and click OK. The settings are echoed to the Command window.

3. Copy the setting commands from the Command window. Then paste them into a program file or into a form's Init event.