KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q124643: How to Simulate Client-Server Apps w/Apple Events & FoxPro Mac

Article: Q124643
Product(s): Microsoft FoxPro
Version(s): MACINTOSH:2.6a,3.0b
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kb3rdparty kbnetwork
Last Modified: 12-FEB-2000

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Macintosh, version 3.0b 
- Microsoft FoxPro for Macintosh, version 2.6a 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY
=======

This article gives a method you can use to simulate client-server applications
by using Apple Events and FoxPro for Macintosh. With Visual FoxPro for
Macintosh, you can also use this method to communicate to a Visual FoxPro
Executable (.EXE.)

MORE INFORMATION
================

FoxPro's ability to run AppleScripts permits developers to build a client-server
application using FoxPro on both sides. Though FoxPro was not designed to act as
a server, and therefore will not behave as a true client- server system would,
it may be acceptable under certain circumstances such as with a small network
that has few users logged in simultaneously.

1. Users of the application will have to be able to link to programs running on
  the computer that will run the server portion of the application. This can be
  achieved in one of the following two ways:

   - Users connecting to the Macintosh with FoxPro have to be listed in the
     "Users & Groups" control panel and have File Sharing and Program
     Linking enabled.

  -or-

   - Users can connect as "Guest". In this case, the <Guest> account in
     the "Users & Groups" control panel has to have File Sharing and
     Program Linking enabled.

  NOTE: File Sharing and Program Linking have to be enabled in the Sharing Setup
  control panel for guests or registered users to be able to connect,
  regardless of the settings in the Users & Groups control panel. Also, the
  FoxPro folder and any other appropriate folders must be marked as shared by
  choosing the Sharing... command from the File menu.

2. The server portion of the application will be Microsoft FoxPro and must run
  on the server Macintosh. If it is not running, the following message is
  displayed:

  Microsoft FoxPro isn't running
  or program linking isn't enabled.
  <Stop>

3. The client portion of the application will run on each workstation. It can
  run from a shared network folder to save disk space. The client portion runs
  scripts, created with Apple Script, that use this syntax:

     tell application "Microsoft FoxPro" of machine "server" of zone "<zone>"
        do script "<script commands>"
     end tell

  For example, use the following syntax to open a Browse window with the
  customer table (.DBF file). Then perform a join SQL-Select query from
  customer and invoices on the TEST server from the Zone1 zone:

     tell application "Microsoft FoxPro" of machine "TEST" of zone "ZONE1"
        open "customer.dbf"
        do script "select * from customer, invoices where
           customer.cno==invoices.cno into table results.dbf"
     end tell

  To create Apple Scripts, use Script Editor, which is located by default in the
  "HD:Apple Extras:AppleScript" folder.

  NOTE: Apple Script and Script Editor are manufactured by Apple, a vendor
  independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise,
  regarding these products' performance or reliability.

  For more information on using AppleScript and Script Editor, see your
  Macintosh documentation.

4. The first time the connection is established, the application user is
  prompted to log in to the server computer by a dialog similar to this:

  Connect to the file server "<server>" as:

  ( ) Guest
  (o) Registered User

  Name:
  Password:

       <Cancel>     <OK>

  The user should make the appropriate selection based on the configuration
  chosen in step 1.

REFERENCES
==========

For more information on using AppleScript, query on the following words in the
Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  "FoxPro" (without the quotation marks) and "applescript" (without the
  quotation marks) and "run" (without the quotation marks)

Additional query words: vFoxMac FoxMac

======================================================================
Keywords          : kb3rdparty kbnetwork 
Technology        : kbHWMAC kbOSMAC kbVFPsearch kbAudDeveloper kbFoxproSearch kbFoxPro260aMac kbVFP300bMac
Version           : MACINTOSH:2.6a,3.0b

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.