====================================== FoxPro Developers Network of San Diego ====================================== FoxDev TipsLetter #99-11 October 31, 1999 Website: Editor: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CONTENTS: * Calendar * Tech Tips: Installing Visual Studio Barbara Peisch * Other Stuff: VFP Certification Exams Micro Endeavors More on the Exams Editor Consulting Solutions Group * Administrivia ====================================================================== CALENDAR: We are now alternating meetings between Escondido and Sorrento Mesa. All meetings are at 7:00 pm. Nov. 3 - Sorrento Mesa ---------------------- Mike Vincent from Orange County will be showing us how to use ActiveX components. ActiveX controls can significantly add to the functionality and visual interface of your VFP applications. As you may know, there is a learning curve and some controls work better than others with VFP. Mike Vincent will be providing an overview of controls from several sources, then will drill into details of implementing some that he is using in his own projects. He'll also share some experiences on the in and outs of managing ActiveX controls in both development and end-user environments. One of Mike's favorite ActiveX vendors is dbiTech. They have established a specific arrangement for our FoxPro User Group. They are offering a 20% discount on all DBI Technologies' products (ToolBox OCX V.4, Solutions::PIM, Solutions::Schedule and Solutions::Explorer). Please make sure when ordering that you tell the dbiTech sales reps which user group you are associated with and include reference to Mike Vincent's name/presentation. Otherwise, a discount will not apply. Dec. 8 - Xmas party at Trophy's ------------------------------- As a way of wishing all our members a happy holiday, we are sponsoring the annual Christmas dinner. We will provide food and drink for all members in good standing. The party starts at 7:00pm on the patio. We are returning to the site of last year's party--Trophy's in the Hazard Center (Mission Valley). To get to Trophy's, take 163 to Friars Road and head east. Turn right at the first light (Frazee), and then right into the parking lot. Go straight to the end and Trophy's will be on your left. Jan. 5 - Escondido ------------------ Dan Covill will present an introduction to XML. Feb. ? - Sorrento Mesa ---------------------- Nick Nikula and Steve Settimi are teaming up to give us an overview of VFP Com Objects and VFP Com Objects running on MTS. [I assume MTS is the Metropolitan Transit System. DC] Escondido meetings are at Bergelectric, 2222 Meyers Avenue. Take the Nordahl exit from Highway 78 (west of I-15). Head South. Right on Meyers Ave, first right past Mission. It's a one-story building on the right (there's no sign). Sorrento Mesa meetings are in the PS Business Center, 6450 Lusk Blvd. From the Lusk Blvd driveway, go straight back to the furthest corner of the rear bldg and park. The conference room is upstairs over the Fitness Center. ====================================================================== TIPS ====================================================================== INSTALLING VISUAL STUDIO Barbara Peisch Q: I recently purchased Visual Studio 6.0 and was wondering if there are any special precautions I should take before installing it. There was a note in the package about problems installing it on a Win95 platform. Will it work on Win95 or should I go ahead a upgrade my system to Win98. Is it difficult to only install VFp 6.0 from the studio? Any advise would be helpful. A: I haven't installed VS 6 on a Win95 machine, so I don't have any first-hand experience. I haven't heard any complaints, though, and I think that I would if there were problems with it. I have installed an app developed under VS 6 on a Win95 machine without any problems. It's easy to install just VFP from VS. If you don't have (VS) Service Pack 3, you'll want to order that from the MS website at http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/sp/vs6sp3/default.asp. It's free. Also, make sure you only install the help for VFP. That's on the separate MSDN disk that you should have gotten with VS. (If you didn't contact MS. It seems a lot of people didn't.) Also, VFP doesn't point to the help file automatically. After you install VFP and the help file, go to VFP's Tools...Options menu. Click on the "File Locations" tab, and scroll down to "Help file". Click Modify and select c:\program files\microsoft visual studio\msdn98\98vs\1033\foxhelp.chm, or whereever you installed foxhelp.chm. (The directory shown is the default.) One other thing that's really annoying about VS 6. They assume you want to log onto the Internet every time you boot your machine. I created a file in my root node called DisableAutoConnect.Reg with the following contents: REGEDIT4 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\OLE] "EnableRemoteConnect"="N" Double-clicking this from Explorer will change the registry so it doesn't try to log you on every time you boot. Of course, you can also manually edit the registry and go to the node shown and change it. [Barbara Peisch is the treasurer of San Diego FPDN] ====================================================================== OTHER STUFF ====================================================================== VFP CERTIFICATION EXAMS Micro Endeavors We asked for VFP Certification Exams and now it is time to sign up for the beta exams ! Micro Endeavors wants to personally invite everyone in the Fox community to not only take the beta exams, but to provide feedback on what was good/bad about them. This feedback is extremely valuable to Microsoft and the ntire FoxPro community, MS will use your feedback to build the final live exams. The exam prep guides are currently available. I encourage you to review them so you'll know what topics to expect on the exams. Here are the links. (Distributed Apps exam) (Desktop Apps exam) These Visual FoxPro beta exams will be the first MCP beta exams to offer pre-registration. This means you can register for the exam up to 2 weeks before it actually becomes available. This will help ensure that you get the necessary 'seat time' at the testing centers. The beta exams will only be offered for a limited time. Passing the beta counts toward your certification. As reminder, it was stated at DevCon, there needs to be a large pool of qualified Fox developers taking these beta exams in order for MS to properly construct the final live exams. This means that if not enough people take the betas in the given time period, the live exams will be delayed. PLEASE, we are counting everyone to spread the word that the VFP cert exams are ready... It's up to all of us to take the betas and make Visual FoxPro certification a reality. If you have any questions, please contact us at MEI and we are here to serve the VFP community. Warmest Regards, Joan Novino Micro Endeavors, Inc. (610) 449-4680 (610) 449-4757 fax (610) 853-9244 direct www.microendeavors.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- MORE ON THE FoxPro EXAMS Editor Let me give you a little head start on the digging that begins when you call one of the URLs referenced above. 1. There are two exams, one for Distributed Apps (which I suspect means interfacing with Microsoft Office, COM objects, and Nick Nikula) and one for Desktop Apps, which sounds like the rest of us. 2. The Beta versions of the exams are a good deal; they cost $50 instead of $100 and the results still count. Testing will be from 11/18 thru 12/17, and registration was (supposed to) open on 10/29. 3. The Microsoft site will refer you to either Sylvan or VUE to pick a test site and register. As of 10/31, Sylvan didn't have the FoxPro exams listed, which made it impossible to find out where their test sites are because you have to pick the exam first (don't you just LOVE the way websites are designed?)! 4. VUE (Virtual University Enterprises) lists the FoxPro exams by the Beta version numbers (71-xxx), and has three locations in San Diego: Manpower Technical 5151 Murphy Canyon Road, Suite 350 San Diego 92123 (858)565-9185 National University MCSE Testing Center 4121 Camino Del Rio South, Suite 17 San Diego 92108 (619?) 642-8241 QuickStart Technologies 4510 Executive Drive, Suite P7 San Diego 92120 (858)784-6800 5. Both Sylvan and VUE require you to register a usercode and password before you can go any further. I'm pondering my possible password. 6. If you pick a date, you can change it later. 7. You can make a second career out of downloading and running the "Adaptive Testing" demos found on the Microsoft test site. But I think you should, because if you're a holdover from good old multiple choice like I am (when in doubt pick "c"), it's sure different! Dan Covill, editor [Please, PLEASE let me know your experiences with this process.] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SOLUTIONS CONSULTING GROUP Solutions Consulting Group, at 6540 Lusk Blvd, is the host for our Sorrento Mesa meetings. But who are they, and what do they do? "Since its inception in 1993, Solutions Consulting Group has grown to more than 40 employees with over 65 active clients throughout Southern California. We are a Microsoft Certified Solution Provider Partner and a member of the Oracle Business Alliance Program." They do: Corporate Application Development Data Warehousing Network Services They work in FoxPro, VFP, VB, Access, SQL, and Oracle. They are looking for more employees and they do use contractors as well; contact Armando Andrade at if you're interested. For More Information... --------------------------Administrivia------------------------------- This newsletter is a service to members of the FoxPro Developers Network of San Diego (FPDN). The editor (Dan Covill) is solely responsible for the content, Barbara Peisch does the distribution. E-mail the editor YOUR tips, comments, complaints, and rebuttals. Editor: Dan Covill 858-272-2448 Board of Directors: Eric Lendvai - President 760-439-6617 Art Bergquist - Vice Pres 760-740-0428 Claude Nikula - Secretary 619-615-6318 Barbara Peisch - Treasurer 760-729-9607 Steve Settimi - Director 619-262-5883 Dan Covill - Director 858-272-2448 ----------------------------------------------------------------------