Q257230: HOWTO: Display a Form in a Top-Level Form on Startup

Article: Q257230
Product(s): Microsoft FoxPro
Version(s): WINDOWS:5.0,5.0a,6.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbContainer kbCtrl kbvfp500 kbvfp500a kbvfp600 kbGrpDSFox kbDSupport kbCodeSnippet
Last Modified: 28-MAR-2000

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0a, 6.0 
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SUMMARY
=======

If you attempt to automatically run a form inside a top-level form, you may find
that you cannot run the form from the Load or Init method. Both the Load and
Init method cause the form to appear in the Visual FoxPro screen, rather than in
the form.

Although the Activate event happens frequently during the life of a form, this is
the best place from which to run a form on startup. You can put wrapper code
around the call to the in-top-level form so that it only runs once.

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

To use the code sample included in this article, follow these steps:

1. Copy and then save this sample code into a program named RunSDI.prg:

  *!* Adjust this line to point to your VFP 5.0 or 6.0 root directory.
  #INCLUDE "D:\VS98\VFP98\FOXPRO.H"

  LPARAMETER tcDoForm
  PUBLIC oContainer

  oContainer = CREATEOBJECT("frmContainer", tcDoForm)
  IF TYPE("oContainer") = "O" AND NOT ISNULL(oContainer)
     oContainer.Show()
  ENDif

  RETURN

  DEFINE CLASS frmContainer AS form

     AutoCenter = .T.
     Height = 400
     Width = 600
     ShowWindow = 2   && As Top-Level Form
     Caption = "Top-Level Container"
     Name = "frmContainer"
     cDoForm = ""
     lFormCreated = .F.
   
     PROCEDURE Init
        LPARAMETER tcFormToRun

        IF TYPE("tcFormToRun") != "C"
           tcFormToRun = ""
        ENDif

        IF UPPER(RIGHT(tcFormToRun, 4)) != ".SCX"
           tcFormToRun = tcFormToRun + ".SCX"
        ENDif

        IF FILE(tcFormToRun)
           THIS.cDoForm = tcFormToRun
        ELSE
           MESSAGEBOX("File " + ALLTRIM(tcFormToRun) + ;
              " not found.", MB_OK, "Top-Level Container")
           RETURN .F.
        ENDif
     ENDproc

  *!* To make your form appear inside the SDI container, run the following 
  *!* code as is. If you want to make it appear that only one form is 
  *!* running, comment the "loDoForm.Caption..." line below and uncomment
  *!* the lines currently commented.
     PROCEDURE Activate
        LOCAL loDoForm, llLockScreen
        
        WITH This
           IF NOT .lFormCreated
              DO FORM (.cDoForm) NAME loDoForm
             
              llLockScreen = .LockScreen
              .LockScreen = .T.
              
              lcDoForm = .cDoForm
              loDoForm.Caption = loDoForm.Caption + ": In Top-Level"
              
  *!*	            loDoForm.TitleBar = 0
  *!*	            loDoForm.BorderStyle = 0
  *!*	            .Height = loDoForm.Height
  *!*	            .Width = loDoForm.Width
  *!*	            .Caption = loDoForm.Caption
              
              .LockScreen = llLockScreen
              .lFormCreated = .T.
           ENDif
        ENDwith
     ENDproc
  ENDdefine 

2. Create a new form with the following properties and save it as MYFORM.scx:

  ShowWindow = "1 - In Top-Level Form"
  Height = 200
  Width = 200

3. From the Visual FoxPro Command window, set the default directory to the
  directory that contains the RunSDI.prg file.

4. Type the following in the Command window and then press ENTER:

  DO RunSDI.PRG WITH "MYFORM"

A top-level (SDI) form with your form inside appears. Your form was run from the
Activate event of the SDI container.

REFERENCES
==========

(c) Microsoft Corporation 2000, All Rights Reserved. Contributions by Garrett
Fitzgerald, Microsoft Corporation.


Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbContainer kbCtrl kbvfp500 kbvfp500a kbvfp600 kbGrpDSFox kbDSupport kbCodeSnippet 
Technology        : kbVFPsearch kbAudDeveloper kbVFP500 kbVFP600 kbVFP500a
Version           : WINDOWS:5.0,5.0a,6.0
Issue type        : kbhowto

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