Q172079: HOWTO: Closing a Running Application from Visual FoxPro for Mac

Article: Q172079
Product(s): Microsoft FoxPro
Version(s): MACINTOSH:3.0b
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbcode kbHWMAC kbvfp
Last Modified: 11-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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SUMMARY
=======

Under certain circumstances, you may wish to determine which applications are
running and if a particular application is running, perform an action such as
causing the application to quit.

This can be accomplished within Visual FoxPro for Macintosh by calling an
AppleScript.

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

Writing AppleScripts requires the AppleScript Script Editor. This can be
downloaded from Apple's Web page at http://applescript.apple.com/sw.html. There
is a Download hypertext jump that will download a compressed .hqx file
containing the AppleScript Script Editor. It is also included on many System
Software CDs in the Apple Extras folder.

You can find information on writing AppleScripts in "Danny Goodman's AppleScript
Handbook," 2nd edition, published by Random House.

Steps to Create and Run the Script
----------------------------------

1. Paste or type the text below into the AppleScript Script Editor. This has
  been tested with Mac OS versions 7.5.5 and 8.0.

        -- Start of script code. The "--" string is a comment indicator

        on run (tcAppName)
          set lcNoParameter to "No parameter given as application to close."
          set lcEmptyParameter to "No application specified to close."
          -- Check for missing parameter or incorrect data type
          try
            set tcAppName to tcAppName as string
            on error errmsg number errnum
            if errnum = -1700 then
              display dialog lcNoParameter
              return
            end if
          end try

        -- Check for empty parameter string
        if tcAppName = "" then
             display dialog lcEmptyParameter
             return
          else
          -- Store passed app name to variable
             set cAppName to tcAppName
        end if

        tell application "Finder"
          -- Create list of running applications - these are object data
          set lstResult to name of every process
        end tell

        -- Loop thru all open apps
        repeat with oAppObj in lstResult
          -- Check if name matches parameter passed to script
          if (oAppObj as string) is cAppName then
            -- If so, activate, which will cause app to prompt for save,
            -- then quit.
            tell application cAppName
              activate
            -- Use try then on error to trap for Cancel from Save dialog
               try
                 with timeout of 10 seconds
                   quit
                 end timeout
               on error errmsg number errnum
               end try
             end tell
           end if
         end repeat
        end run

        -- End of script code

2. Save the script as "KillAppIfRunning," and as a script or an application.
  Spaces in the script file name may cause problems calling the script from
  Visual FoxPro, so do not include spaces. Spaces in the path to the folder are
  okay.

3. Calling the script from Visual FoxPro as follows will close Microsoft Word if
  it is running. This assumes that the script has been saved as
  KillAppIfRunning and is located in the "MACINTOSH HD:APPLE'S SCRIPTING
  SYSTEM:" folder.

        RUNSCRIPT "MACINTOSH HD:APPLE'S SCRIPTING SYSTEM:KillAppIfRunning"
           with "Microsoft Word"

Notes
-----

1. If you forget to pass a parameter or pass an empty string, the script will
  display an error message. The application name parameter is not case
  sensitive.

2. If the script cannot find the application you pass it (that is, it is not
  running), the script will complete without error.

3. It is necessary to check to see whether the application is running, because
  telling an application, which is not running, to quit will start, then quit,
  the application.

4. It will also prompt you to save any open files in the application being
  closed if the open files contain any unsaved edits.

5. Information can be found about calling AppleScripts from Visual FoxPro in the
  Visual FoxPro Online Help file under the RUNSCRIPT command.

REFERENCES
==========

AppleScript Handbook, 2nd edition, by Danny Goodman

Visual FoxPro for Macintosh Help
(c) Microsoft Corporation 1997, All Rights Reserved.
Contributions by Jim Saunders, Microsoft Corporation


Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbcode kbHWMAC kbvfp 
Technology        : kbHWMAC kbOSMAC kbVFPsearch kbAudDeveloper kbVFP300bMac
Version           : MACINTOSH:3.0b
Issue type        : kbhowto

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