====================================== FoxPro Developers Network of San Diego ====================================== FoxDev TipsLetter #01-08 8 September, 2001 Website: Editor: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [Short newsletter this month; see you after DevCon. DC] CONTENTS: * Calendar ** September meeting is the 13th! ** * Tech Tips: Win32 API from VFP Dan Covill * Links: Where Can I Find...? * Other Stuff: VFP Gets Respect! Marshal Your Data, Marshal Code Name Suggestions Janet Ruhl's Website * Administrivia ====================================================================== CALENDAR: All meetings are in Escondido, at 6:30 pm. Sept 13 *** SPECIAL DATE *** ------- Doug Hennig is doing double duty for us and present two topics: New interface features in VFP7 & Windows API VFP 7 introduces some new features that allow us to create applications with up-to-date interfaces (such as that in Office 2000). However, there's a lot more to creating an exciting interface than just turning on "hot tracking". In this session, you'll learn how to create modern-looking menus (complete with Most Recently Used features), toolbars (including command buttons with drop-down menus), dialogs (using new Windows 2000 features), and forms. These techniques will help you freshen the user interface of your applications to give them a longer shelf-life. [There will be no Q&A in order to give Doug enough time. Meeting will start at 6:30] October 3 --------- Barbara Peisch - An intro to Web Connection - Part 1 This presentation will give an overview of how Web Connection works, and the basics of building an application and setting up the configuration. November 7 ---------- Barbara Peisch - An intro to Web Connection - Part 2 This presentation will cover the basics of deploying an app to a live web server. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 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). ====================================================================== TIPS ====================================================================== WIN32 API FROM VFP by Dan Covill There's a ton of useful (indeed, often necessary!) stuff in the Win32 API, but all the books are written for C++ programmers, and it's not easy to figure out how to acces it from VFP. Well, our troubles are over. This website has it all! There are 207 API functions documented, each one with a complete example of calling it from Visual FoxPro. Wow!! This site was found and posted to ProFox by Jean-Marie Laeremans, who lives and works in Bruges, Belgium. ====================================================================== LINKS ====================================================================== This is a (semi) permanent list of places to look for technical help when you get blind-sided by the latest urgent requirement. We don't give specific URLs for MSDN articles because (a) they're too long and (b) they change too often! ------------------------------- MSDN ON LINE: There's a ton of stuff here, look at the Magazines tab, and read some of the regular columns. MSDN Library Look in Technical Articles | Visual Studio | Visual FoxPro 3-Tier Apps: MSDN Library: "Building Three-Tier Client/Server Applications with Visual FoxPro" ADO MSDN Library: ADO Jumpstart for Microsoft Visual FoxPro Developers John V. Petersen, April 1999 DNA (Distributed interNet Architecture): MSDN On-line: "Top Windows DNA Performance Mistakes and How to Prevent Them" MTS: Microsoft Transaction Server MSDN Library: "Microsoft Transaction Server for Visual FoxPro Developers" ODBC: MSDN Library: "Using Visual FoxPro to Access Remote Data" ODBC drivers are part of MDAC - Microsoft Data Access Components - and are available for download at: "www.microsoft.com/data" VS Installer: MSDN Library: a. "Using Visual Studio Installer for VFP 6.0 Applications" b. "VFP 6.0 and VS Installer Tutorial" VFP General: This is the most complete set of FoxPro links you're likely to find: http://www.cetus-links.org/oo_visual_foxpro.html WEB Development: These products all work well with VFP. DotFox www.elsoftware.com WestWind www.west-wind.com FoxWeb www.foxweb.com AFP www.afpweb.com and www.afpages.com X-WORKS www.x-works.com Windows General Win32 API (with VFP examples) XML - What's New in XML for Microsoft Windows 2000 See also OLE DB drivers for XML in MDAC 2.6 at "microsoft.com/data" [Contributions solicited. DC] ====================================================================== OTHER STUFF ====================================================================== VISUAL FOXPRO GETS RESPECT! It appears that VFP will be the subject of an article by Erik Moore in the October issue of MSDN magazine. See the (long and detailed) article at: [As Mr. Moore himself admits, the article is mostly about COM and XML, but any mention is welcome. DC] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- MARSHAL YOUR DATA, MARSHAL! wOOdy Juergen Wondzinski, known as wOOdy, made this comment recently in ProFox: "I once attended a DevDay session, where the speaker got wild about that great technique, which "marshals" your data (I imagine a cowboy riding thru the Desert of RAM, trying to find a Postoffice to deliver his message...).. I only sat in the back, shaking my had and asked myself: What's wrong with this development world? Why they don't just USE CUSTOMER and all is well?" [Amen! DC] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CODE NAME SUGGESTIONS Ken Levy apparently posted a note on the Wiki soliciting suggestions for a "code name" for the next VFP project. You know, like Whistler etc. The most popular one so far is "Zorro", which means Fox in Spanish. Some others appeared on ProFox: Comet - nobody knows its coming, or what it is, until it hits you Mushroom - we are kept in the dark about it until its ready Desperation - little or no help, any help offered is not much use Prepartion H- everyone has heard of it, but not a lot of people actually use it Anusol - the UK version of Preparation H Symbol - the development tool formerly known as VFP McFoxPro - it worked for McDonalds. We could have regular,large or super size instead of licence agreements ? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- JANET RUHL'S WEBSITE by Dan Covill For those of you who are independents, I highly recommend Janet Ruhl's definitive book, "The Computer Consultant's Guide". It's all in there; marketing, billing, standard agreements, managing your time, everything you need to know. What I did not know is that she has a web site, at: that includes current rate info plus other resources. --------------------------Administrivia------------------------------- This newsletter is a service to all FoxPro developers, provided without charge by the FoxPro Developers Network of San Diego (FPDN). Anyone may subscribe (or unsubscribe) at our web site . The link is on the home page. The Resources button on the website will take you to the back issues of the newsletter. The editor (Dan Covill) is solely responsible for the content. E-mail him with YOUR tips, comments, or complaints. Editor: Dan Covill 858-272-2448 dcovill@acm.org Board of Directors: Eric Lendvai - President 760-734-4929 eric@elsoftware.com Art Bergquist - Vice Pres 760-740-0428 abergquis@cs.com Claude Nikula - Secretary 619-615-6318 crndev@home.com Barbara Peisch - Treasurer 760-729-9607 barbara@peisch.com Dan Covill - Director 858-272-2448 dcovill@acm.org Thad V'Soske - Director 619-544-9900 tvsoske@hanoverdirect.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------