How To Increase the Startup Speed of Visual FoxPro for Windows

• Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, versions 3.0, 3.0b, 5.0

SUMMARY

When Visual FoxPro for Windows starts, a certain amount of time is used to search and load component files, to load help files, and to turn on certain settings. This article lists suggestions for decreasing startup time.

Most of the ideas in this article work for both network and stand-alone computers running FoxPro.

MORE INFORMATION

Tips to Decrease Startup Time

• Use a Config.fpw file that is in the Vfp directory. If this is not possible, specify the full path to it by using the SET FOXPROWCFG= command in the Autoexec.bat file or the -c parameter on the VFP command line in the Properties dialog box as in this example:

  C:\VFP\VFP.EXE -cC:\OTHER\CONFIG.FPW SET FOXPROWCFG = C:\OTHER\CONFIG.FPW

  Here it is assumed that the Config.fpw file is located in the C:\Other directory. Visual FoxPro searches for this file, so it is wise to make the file easy to find.

• Specify the location of startup files. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the File Location tab. Specify the location of the files in that tab. You can also place the locations in the Config.fpw file. Settings placed in the Config.fpw file override the settings made in the File Location tab. For example, place the following entries in the Config.fpw file:

  RESOURCE = C:\OTHER\FOXUSER.DBF _SPELLCHK = C:\OTHER\SHELLCHK.APP _WIZARD = C:\OTHER\WIZARD.APP

  NOTE: These files are normally stored in the Vfp directory.

• List other files that FoxPro loads upon startup by typing DISPLAY MEMORY in the Visual FoxPro Command window. This listing includes other components of Visual FoxPro that are not in the File Locations tab. Visual FoxPro automatically searches for these files in the Vfp directory. If they are located elsewhere, give their specific location in the Config.fpw file as in this example:

  _TRANSPORT = C:\Other\Transport.prg _GENXTAB = C:\Other\Genxtab.prg _BUILDER = C:\Other\Builder.app

• If one or more of the listed files won't be used, set them to null in the Config.fpw file as in this example:

  _GENXTAB = "" _BUILDER = ""

  This increases the startup speed of Visual FoxPro because it doesn't have to load these files into memory.

• Make sure the location for temporary files is valid. Temporary files are automatically stored in the Windows temporary directory, which is usually C:\Windows\Temp. If the files are to be stored elsewhere, specify their location in the File Location tab or in the Config.fpw file as in this example:

  TMPFILES=C:\OTHER EDITWORK=C:\OTHER SORTWORK=C:\OTHER PROGWORK=C:\OTHER

  The last three items are not listed in the File Location tab reached by clicking Options on the Tools menu. These have to be specified in the Config.fpw file.

• To maximize performance, you can configure some SET commands. A listing of these SET commands are on page 63 of Chapter 4 "Optimizing Your System" in the Visual FoxPro Installation Guide and Master Index book. You can configure them in the Config.fpw file as follows:

  DOHISTORY = OFF ESCAPE = ON OPTIMIZE = ON

REFERENCES

Visual FoxPro Installation Guide and Master Index book in Chapter 4 "Optimizing Your System" and Chapter 3 "Configuring Visual FoxPro."