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Q155085: BUG: 3.0 WAIT WINDOW Display Performance Much Slower than 2.6

Article: Q155085
Product(s): Microsoft FoxPro
Version(s): MACINTOSH:3.0b
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbbuglist
Last Modified: 14-DEC-1999

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The information in this article applies to:

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

The display speed difference of WAIT WINDOW under Visual FoxPro 3.0 may be many
times slower than under FoxPro 2.6a. When using the WAIT WINDOW command to
display status data, such as within a loop, the overhead time in displaying and
updating the WAIT WINDOW may be substantial and may degrade overall performance.

WORKAROUND
==========

Use SET MESSAGE to display text in the status bar.

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at
the beginning of this article.

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

The following table illustrates the times to completion for the following code
loops, all run on a Power Macintosh 9500/132. Each loop cycles 1000 times, with
each pass displaying a string up to 9 characters in length:

   Loop           Product                         Time
   -------------- ------------------------------- --------
   WAIT WINDOW    Visual FoxPro 3.0 Power Mac      31.4
   WAIT WINDOW    FoxPro 2.6 Power Mac              3.1
   SET MESSAGE    Visual FoxPro 3.0                 4.2
   SET MESSAGE    FoxPro 2.6 Power Mac              3.3

NOTE: With different hardware or shorter string lengths, the disparity in display
speed between these two methods may not be as dramatic.

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

     * WAIT WINDOW
     nStart = SECONDS()
     FOR x = 1 to 1000
       WAIT WINDOW REPLICATE( 'X', MOD( x, 10))  NOWAIT && cycling string
     ENDFOR
     ? "Time in seconds to run 1000 WAIT WINDOWs: "
     ?? SECONDS() - nStart

     * SET MESSAGE
     nStart = SECONDS()
     FOR x = 1 to 1000
       SET MESSAGE TO REPLICATE( 'X', MOD( x, 10))  && cycling string
     ENDFOR
     ? "Time in seconds to run 1000 SET MESSAGEs: "
     ?? SECONDS() - nStart

Additional query words: vfoxmac kbdse

======================================================================
Keywords          :  kbbuglist
Technology        : kbHWMAC kbOSMAC kbVFPsearch kbAudDeveloper kbVFP300bMac
Version           : MACINTOSH:3.0b

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

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