Rapid Application Creation

You can develop applications rapidly with help from Visual FoxPro wizards, builders, toolbars, and designers. In addition, with the Visual FoxPro object and event model, you can create prototypes and implement applications quickly.

Getting Quick Results with Wizards and Builders

Using wizards and builders, you can have any or all of the components of your application completed in a matter of minutes. In addition, if any component you create with a wizard or builder does not fully meet your needs, you can alter the component using a designer.

Creating an Application Now

For quick results, wizards are the answer. They provide step-by-step prompts for common tasks you perform in Visual FoxPro. For example, the Table Wizard guides you through the process of creating a table, the Form Wizard creates a form, and the Web Publishing Wizard helps you create a Web page that searches your tables.

Take a look at what you can do:

• Develop Instant Applications   Using the Application Wizard, you can quickly create an application by using your tables and forms, or by using a sample set of application components.
• Create an Internet Web Page   You can create a Web page that provides Web surfers with search and retrieval access to your tables.
• Add Page Frames to Forms   If you choose more fields than can fit on the form, you can add a page frame to display the additional fields on additional pages.
• Populate Pivot Tables through ODBC   The PivotTable Wizard uses the Visual FoxPro ODBC driver.
• Show Nulls in a Cross-Tab Report   The Cross-Tab Wizard now supports displaying null values.
• Move Your Data to a Back-End Server   You can move Visual FoxPro databases, tables, and views from your system to a back-end server with the SQL Server Upsizing Wizard.

If you are in a hurry, use the table in Wizards Overview to select a wizard, and begin creating your application or component.

If you do not want to experiment with your own data and application components, use the samples provided with Visual FoxPro. You can work in the sample database Testdata.dbc, located in the \Samples\Data directory.

Taking Shortcuts with Toolbars

Like other Microsoft applications, Visual FoxPro includes toolbars containing buttons that represent common tasks you perform or objects you use frequently. To perform a specific task or use a particular object, choose the appropriate button.

You can customize the toolbars that come with Visual FoxPro. You can also define custom toolbars for the applications you write. For more information about toolbars, see Customizing the Visual FoxPro Environment or Designing Menus and Toolbars.

Building Controls Quickly

Just as wizards can help to create reports and forms, builders are visual tools that help you design controls to your specifications. Builders can save you time when you are setting up many forms or prototyping applications. All you do is start the builder and answer a series of questions. Using your answers, the builder sets properties for the control you are adding.

Add a Combo Box to Your Form   Suppose you want to enhance a simple form you created by adding the ability to select field values from a list, rather than moving through all the records with VCR buttons and viewing the values in a text box. Just replace the current text box with a combo box and use a builder to set the properties.

Modify Existing Controls with a Builder   If you want to change an existing control, you can select the control and use a builder to help you set the control's properties.

For example, the Combo Box Builder is a tabbed dialog box that helps you design a combo box on a form. A combo box gives you the same view of a value as a text box control, but allows you to choose from a list like a list box control. With this builder you can set properties of a combo box. As you set each property, the control on the form changes to match the settings.

The Builder Lock button and Combo Box button

The tabs in the Combo Box Builder dialog box

Build a Grid Control   To display a small spreadsheet-like view of your data, you can use a grid control. Even if you aren't familiar with all the properties of a grid control, you can still take advantage of their functionality using a builder. The builder helps you choose the fields for your grid, select a style and layout, and establish relationships between tables bound to the grid control. As you make changes in the builder, they are reflected in the Form Designer.

Visual FoxPro offers a wide selection of builders.

To	Use this builder
Format a group of controls	AutoFormat Builder
Build a combo box	Combo Box Builder
Build a command group	Command Group Builder
Build an edit box	Edit Box Builder
Create and edit expressions	Expression Builder
Build a form	Form Builder
Build a grid	Grid Builder
Build a list box	List Box Builder
Build an option group	Option Group Builder
Ensure referential integrity	Referential Integrity Builder
Build a text box	Text Box Builder

See Also

Overview of Visual FoxPro Features | Application Management with the Project Manager | Application Customization with Designers | Interface Creation without Programming | Form Designer | Wizards Overview | Customizing the Visual FoxPro Environment