KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q135307: Guide to Visual FoxPro Documentation

Article: Q135307
Product(s): Microsoft FoxPro
Version(s): 3.00
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 09-AUG-1999

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

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

SUMMARY
=======

This article is a guide to the Visual FoxPro documentation. It lists the printed
and online documentation that comes with the Standard (STD) and Professional
(PRO) versions of Visual FoxPro, and it also provides a reference to common
topics.

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

Documentation Summary
---------------------

Documentation       STD   PRO   Description
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Installation Guide   X     X    Contains instructions on installing,
Master Index                    configuring, and optimizing Visual FoxPro,
                               and a master index that covers all the
                               books.

User's Guide         X     X    Provides instruction on how to use the
                               product interactively (no programming
                               necessary). Each chapter focuses on a
                               different aspect of the product (tables,
                               queries, reports, forms, and so on).

Developer's Guide    X     X    Covers all aspects of creating an
                               application in Visual FoxPro. Covers basic
                               programming tasks, and includes material to
                               help the move from interactive use to
                               programming, and from procedural
                               programming to the new object-oriented
                               programming model.

Quick Reference      X     X    Gives a brief description of all the Visual
                               FoxPro 3.0 commands, system memory
                               variables, and properties, events, and
                               methods.

Professional               X    Covers client-server solutions, creating
Features Guide                  help files, distributing applications, and
                               accessing the Visual FoxPro API.

Language Reference         X    Has been updated with all the new
                               commands, functions, properties, events,
                               and methods. Many functions that we
                               support for backwards compatibility only
                               are now found in the Help file. Also,
                               lengthy language program examples now
                               appear only in the Help file.

Windows-Style Help    X    X    Standard Edition Help includes all
                               interface, language, how-to topics, and
                               error messages, and lists commands
                               and functions by category. Professional
                               Edition Help includes additional Help
                               topics for Client-Server applications,
                               creating Help files, application
                               distribution, API library construction, OLE
                               controls, and Professional Edition tools,
                               samples, and wizards.

.DBF-Style Help            X    Includes all interface and language
                               reference topics and most other topics
                               available in Windows-style help, except
                               "how to" topics.

Win32API Help File         X    Professional Edition CD-ROM version only.

Autodemo                   X    Professional Edition VFP3.0b CD-ROM version
                               only.

Sample Files, Tools, and Learning Aids
--------------------------------------

File                STD   PRO   Description
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONTROLS.APP         X     X    Allows you to look at examples of object-
                               oriented code and then run them to see how
                               the resulting objects work. Shows examples
                               of new controls available, such as timers,
                               grids, tabbed dialogs, and so on, and it
                               demonstrates how to use familiar objects in
                               the new OOP methodology.

TASTRADE.APP         X     X    A realistic integrated business
                               application. The Behind the Scenes option
                               (accessible from the menu or toolbar) lets
                               you see the code and find out how a
                               particular feature was implemented, while
                               the Case Study provides a summary of the
                               design and implementation methodology used.

Sample Client-Server       X    Provides an example of an application
                               updating remote data through a grid on a
                               form, refreshing remote data on demand, and
                               handlng errors. Run Main.prg in the
                               \Samples\Csapp subdirectory to connect to
                               the SQL Server sample database "Pubs" by
                               selecting from a list of ODBC data sources
                               installed on your system, and use a simple
                               library application.

Professional Edition       X    Includes the BUILDAPP program, the Class
Tools and Samples               Browser, the Image Editor, and an OLE
                               Controls sample.

Documentation Set Topic Guide
-----------------------------

Moving from FoxPro 2.x or Other Products:

For information about         Refer to
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
What's new in 3.0?            Search for "Overview of Visual FoxPro
                             Features" in the Help menu.

Differences between           Search for "Differences Between FoxPro 2.6
2.6 and 3.0                   and Visual FoxPro" in the Help menu.

Converting 2.x applications   Search for "Converting from FoxPro 2.6" in
to Visual FoxPro              the Help menu.

Upgrading to Visual FoxPro    Search for "Switching from dBASE" in
from dBASE                    the Help menu.

Basics of objects & classes   Developer's Guide:
                                Chapter 3 - Object-Oriented Programming.
                                Chapter 9 - Creating Forms.
                                Chapter 10 - Designing Classes.
                                Chapter 11 - Using Controls.

Object-oriented code samples  Run Controls.app from the Samples directory.

Importing files from other    Search for "Importing Data" in the Help menu.
applications

Professional Features
---------------------

For information about         Refer to
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Client-server and upsizing    CSAPP - run Main.prg in the Csapp directory
applications                  Part 1 of Professional Features Guide
                             (Chapters 1 through 4).

Distributing an application   Professional Features Guide, Chapters
                             9 and 10.

Creating libraries, and       Professional Features Guide, Chapters 11
using the Visual FoxPro API   and 12.

Creating a Help system        Professional Features Guide, Chapter 5
                             through Chapter 8.

Product Tools and Features
--------------------------

For information about         Refer to
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basic interactive use of the  User's Guide, Chapter 2, "Up and
product                       Running."

Queries and Query Designer    User's Guide, Chapter 6.

Views and View Designer       User's Guide, Chapter 7; Developer's Guide,
                             Chapter 8.

Reports and Labels            User's Guide, Chapter 9.

Forms                         User's Guide, Chapter 10; Developer's Guide,
                             Chapter 9.

Menus                         Developer's Guide, Chapter 12.

General Topics
--------------

For information about         Refer to
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Database Design               Developer's Guide, Chapter 6.

Tables and Table structure    Developer's Guide, Chapter 7.

Designing Classes             Developer's Guide, Chapter 10.

Using Controls                Developer's Guide, Chapter 11.

Optimizing Performance        Developer's Guide, Chapter 17.

OLE and OLE Automation        Developer's Guide, Chapter 18.

Multiuser Applications        Developer's Guide, Chapter 19.

International issues          Developer's Guide, Chapter 20.

System Capacities             Search for "system capacities" in Help.

File Structures               Search for "file structures" in Help.

Additional query words: VFoxWin

======================================================================
Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbVFPsearch kbAudDeveloper kbVFP300
Version           : 3.00

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

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.