Using the Component Gallery

The Component Gallery is a container for catalogs of software objects such as class libraries, forms, buttons, and so on. The Component Gallery also contains Visual FoxPro classes. You can use the Component Gallery to organize components into object, project, application, or other groupings. These visual groupings are dynamically customizable so that you can use, duplicate, or rearrange components among several classifications within the Component Gallery. You can access a specific component from any of the places in the Component Gallery in which you place a reference to that component. You can have several references in different catalogs or folders to a single object. For instance, a button might appear in one or more Component Gallery project categories (represented as folders), but might also be visible in a "Tools" category that holds references to all the buttons you use.

You can use the Component Gallery for all the functions provided by the separate Project Manager Window, Class Browser Window, and Form Controls toolbar. Each of the other Visual FoxPro components provides very specific focus to the projects or classes from within the special environment of either Project file or Class library. The Component Gallery allows you to manage the relationships between components and many of the behaviors of those components from an abstract design level as well as from a more intimate development perspective.

You can drag and drop components within the Component Gallery and from the Component Gallery to projects or forms. You can also change properties of objects or classes from within the Component Gallery.

The Component Gallery can contain any Visual FoxPro element, including local and remote documents, files, or folders, Automation servers like Microsoft Excel and Word, and HTML locations and files. You can also include .prg files containing code snippets, classes, wizards, builders, or art.

In This Section

• How to: Manage Projects with the Component Gallery
  Explains how to use the Component Gallery to use the templates, builders, and wizards in the Component Gallery to create the project or applications.

• Component Gallery Catalogs
  Describes how to use the Visual FoxPro Component Gallery catalogs and the default catalog, which includes items grouped into several categories, including forms, controls, and others.

• How to: Customize the Component Gallery
  Describes how you can change the default behavior of the Visual FoxPro Component Gallery catalog, folders, and gallery items by customizing the Component Gallery.

• Component Gallery Object Members
  Provides a list of classes and items that reference the class, which comprise the Visual FoxPro Component Gallery interface.

• Component Gallery Class Library (Vpfgallery.vcx)
  Explains how the Visual FoxPro Component Gallery class library, Vpfgallery.vcx, provides the item types as classes.

• Component Gallery Table Structure
  Describes the table structure of the Visual FoxPro Component Gallery.

Related Sections

• Development Productivity Tools
  Provides information on developer tools provided for application development within the Visual FoxPro application and the language.

• IntelliSense Overview
  Provides information on IntelliSense, which displays information in popup windows and drop-down lists that assist you with statement and function completion syntax.

• Coverage Profiler Application
  Discusses a coverage application, which writes information about which lines of code in a file were run, and a profiler application, which provides information about which lines actually run, how many times a line is run, duration, and so on.

• Project Manager Hooks
  Describes how you can access a project programmatically, making it possible for you to manipulate a project as an object.

• Automating Keystroke Tasks with Macros
  Describes how you can record and save keystrokes in macros by using the Macros dialog box.