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Q152370: How To Use the APPEND GENERAL Command with an Imager File

Article: Q152370
Product(s): Microsoft FoxPro
Version(s): 3.00b
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 26-AUG-1999

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Macintosh, version 3.0b 
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SUMMARY
=======

This article describes how to use the APPEND GENERAL command to place PICT files
into a Visual FoxPro general field. It also provides some information on
problems that might occur and how to correct them.

The general syntax of the APPEND GENERAL command to append Imager files in Visual
FoxPro is:

  APPEND GENERAL <generalfield> FROM <filename> ;
  CLASS "Microsoft Imager 2.0 Picture"

NOTE: This command should be all on one line. It is shown here on two lines due
to space limitations.

To determine what to enter for the CLASS clause on the APPEND GENERAL command,
modify a general field in Visual FoxPro. Then choose the Insert Object command
from the Edit menu. The items listed are the class names that will work with the
APPEND GENERAL command.

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

Visual FoxPro ships with some PICT files. They are located in the "Microsoft
Visual FoxPro:Samples:Graphics" folder. These graphics are contained in
self-extracting archive (sea) files. To follow the steps below, double-click the
Picts.sea to extract the PICT files. Store them in the default folder specified
"Picts folder."

Step-by-Step Example
--------------------

The following steps are necessary to use the APPEND GENERAL command to place a
PICT file into a Visual FoxPro general field:

1. Open the PICT file in Microsoft Imager. Imager can also open TIFF (Tag Image
  File Format) files. Open the Samples:Graphics:Pict Folder:Fox:ADD.PICT file.

2. From the File menu, choose Save As to save the image file. In the Save As
  dialog, change the File Type to Macintosh PICT. Select Options in the Save As
  dialog to change the attributes of the PICT file. The defaults are fine for
  purposes of this article. Saving the file out of Imager will change the
  Creator to MIMG so that OLE will work with it.

3. Save the ADD.PICT file as ADDImager.PICT. Close the PICT file in Imager.

4. In Visual FoxPro, create or open a table that has a general field. Append a
  blank record to the table, such as APPEND BLANK. In the Visual FoxPro Command
  window, issue the following command:

     APPEND GENERAL olefield FROM ;
        HOME()+"Samples:Graphics:Fox:ADDImager.PICT" ;
        CLASS "Microsoft Imager 2.0 Picture"

  NOTE: The above command should be all on one line. It is shown here as

three lines due to space limitations. Your general field name and path to the
PICT file may vary.

This PICT file should Append with no problems. However, it is small. PICT files
larger than the samples shipped with Visual FoxPro may require more memory to be
allocated to Imager before they can be successfully Appended. By default, Imager
has 4096K allocated to it. Increasing this to 8192K will allow larger PICT files
to be inserted into the general field with the APPEND GENERAL command or by
going through the interface and choosing the Insert Object command from the Edit
menu when the general field has been opened (MODIFY GENERAL olefield).

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base:

  Q151636 BUG: Insert Object of an Imager file Causes Error or Hangs Mac

The following program can be used to automate changing the creator of the PICT
file to Imager and appending the PICTS into a general field. The program assumes
that the Picts.sea file found in the Microsoft Visual FoxPro:Samples:Graphics
folder has been unstuffed and the following is the folder path to the Outline
PICT files:

  <foxpro folder>:Samples:Graphics:Picts folder:Outline

There are only six Outline PICT files. This process can take a long time if a
large number of files are involved.


     SET LIBRARY TO HOME()+"FoxTools.cfm"  ADDITIVE
     DIMENSION farray(1,1)
     CLEAR

     y=HOME()+"Samples:Graphics:Picts folder:Outline:*.PICT"
     x=ADIR(farray,"&y")

     ? "Changing Creators of the Pict files to Imager."
     ?
     FOR i=1 TO x
     IF FxSetType(SYS(2027,HOME()+ ;
     "Samples:Graphics:Picts folder:Outline:"+farray(i,1)),"PICT","MIMG")=0
        WAIT farray(i,1)+" changed successfully" TIMEOUT 2
     ELSE
        WAIT farray(i,1)+" not changed successfully" TIMEOUT 2
     ENDIF
     ENDFOR

     SELECT 0
     CREATE TABLE OutlinePicts (descript C(32), olefield G)

     ?
     ?
     ?
     ? "Appending in the Pict files"
     ?
     FOR i=1 TO x
     APPEND BLANK
     REPLACE OutlinePicts.descript WITH farray(i,1)
     y=SYS(2027,HOME()+"Samples:Graphics:Picts folder:Outline:"+farray(i,1))
     APPEND GENERAL olefield FROM (y) CLASS "Microsoft Imager 2.0 Picture"
     WAIT farray(i,1)+" appended" TIMEOUT 2
     ENDFOR

     BROWSE NOWAIT
     SET LIBRARY TO


Additional query words: VfoxMac

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Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbHWMAC kbOSMAC kbVFPsearch kbAudDeveloper kbVFP300bMac
Version           : 3.00b

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