Q130997: How to Use the Caption Fields of a Table in a Form

Article: Q130997
Product(s): Microsoft FoxPro
Version(s): WINDOWS:3.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbcode
Last Modified: 15-FEB-2000

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

- Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, version 3.0 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY
=======

Visual FoxPro's database offers some nice enhancements for developers. One such
enhancement is the ability to use a table's caption property to hold the name of
a field. Then you can reference the field caption property by using DBGETPROP to
display the field description or name in a label on a form instead of having to
enter this information manually in the caption property of the label.

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

The premise behind this concept is this: Each field in a table has an associated
caption property. This caption property can hold whatever text you would like to
put in it, including the English text describing or naming the field.

Sample Code
-----------

The following code demonstrates the behavior outlined in this article. The code
has been documented so you can follow along when it executes.

  **========================================================**
  ** Program name: CAPTEST                                  **
  ** Purpose     : This program demonstrates how to pro-    **
  **               gramatically use the caption property of **
  **               a field in a table                       **
  **========================================================**
  SET SAFETY OFF
  CLOSE ALL
  CLEAR
  CREATE DATABASE captest
  CREATE TABLE cust (Cust_ID C(5), Cust_Name C(20))
  INSERT INTO cust (Cust_ID, Cust_Name) Values ("00001","Acme Inc")
  CLOSE ALL
  OPEN DATABASE captest
  USE cust

  **--------------------------------------------------------**
  ** This code is setting the caption property for the 2    **
  ** fields in the cust table.                              **
  **--------------------------------------------------------**
  =DBSETPROP("Cust.Cust_ID","FIELD","CAPTION","Customer ID")
  =DBSETPROP("Cust.Cust_Name","FIELD","CAPTION","Customer Name")

  **--------------------------------------------------------**
  ** This block of code creates the form for the display.   **
  **--------------------------------------------------------**
  frmMyForm = CREATEOBJECT('Form')
  frmMyForm.Width      = 450
  frmMyForm.Height     = 100
  frmMyForm.Caption    = "Caption Test"
  frmMyForm.AutoCenter =.T.

  **-------------------------------------------------------**
  ** This code adds the label and text box objects for the **
  ** customer id information.                              **
  **-------------------------------------------------------**
  frmMyForm.AddObject('lblCustID','lblCust_ID')
  frmMyForm.AddObject('fldCustID','fldCust_ID')

  **-------------------------------------------------------**
  ** This code adds the label and text box objects for the **
  ** customer name information.                            **
  **-------------------------------------------------------**
  frmMyForm.AddObject('lblCustName','lblCust_Name')
  frmMyForm.AddObject('fldCustName','fldCust_Name')

  **-------------------------------------------------------**
  ** Add a quit button                                     **
  **-------------------------------------------------------**
  frmMyForm.AddObject('cmdQuit','cmdQuitButton')

  frmMyForm.SHOW                   && Display the form
  READ EVENTS                      && Start event processing
  CLOSE ALL
  ERASE Cust.dbf
  ERASE Captest.dbc
  ERASE Captest.dbt
  SET SAFETY ON

  **-------------------------------------------------------**
  ** This is the class definition for the customer ID in-  **
  ** formation. The caption for the label should be de-    **
  ** rived from the table itself. This is the example re-  **
  ** ferred to in the article. The name of the field and   **
  ** its definition are stored together in the table. This **
  ** way, if you decide to change the name of the field in **
  ** the table, you can also just change the caption while **
  ** you're there and that change will be reflected on your**
  ** form.                                                 **
  **-------------------------------------------------------**
  DEFINE CLASS lblCust_ID as label
    Width   = 80
    Left    = 10
    Top     = 22
    Visible = .T.
    Caption = DBGETPROP("Cust.Cust_id","FIELD","CAPTION")
  ENDDEFINE

  DEFINE CLASS fldCust_ID as textbox
    Visible = .T.
    Left    = 100
    Top     = 20
    Width   = 20
    ControlSource=Cust.Cust_ID
  ENDDEFINE

  **-------------------------------------------------------**
  ** Class definition for the customer name information.   **
  **-------------------------------------------------------**
  DEFINE CLASS lblCust_Name as label
    Width   = 100
    Left    = 140
    Top     = 22
    Visible = .T.
    Caption = DBGETPROP("Cust.Cust_Name","FIELD","CAPTION")
  ENDDEFINE

  DEFINE CLASS fldCust_Name as textbox
    Visible = .T.
    Left    = 260
    Top     = 20
    Width   = 140
    ControlSource=Cust.Cust_Name
  ENDDEFINE

  DEFINE CLASS cmdQuitButton AS CommandButton  && Create command button
      Caption = '\<Quit'       && Caption on the command button
      Cancel  = .T.            && Default Cancel command button (Esc)
      Left    = 175            && Command button column
      Top     = 60             && Command button row
      Height  = 25             && Command button height
      Visible = .T.

      PROCEDURE Click
        CLEAR EVENTS           && Stop event processing, close Form
  ENDDEFINE

Additional query words: VFoxWin Caption DBC

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbcode 
Technology        : kbVFPsearch kbAudDeveloper kbVFP300
Version           : WINDOWS:3.0

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

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.

Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1986-2002.