Skip to main content

VFP 9 Cool Feature #1: Custom Property Editors

We've always been able to create our own properties in Visual FoxPro but now with VFP 9, there are two really cool features that greatly enhance developer's productivity.
 
1. You can now specify default values when you create a new property. I know this sounds small, but this is a HUGE benefit when building new classes.
 
2. You can now specify your own method for editing properties. This is done with the new MemberData Editor found under the Form or Class menu. With the MemberData Editor, highlight a property (including base properties such as Caption, Name) and check the option "Has Member Data". The Script box will now become enabled. Write VFP code in here that will be used whenever the user double-clicks the function. For example, if you wanted to use an INPUT BOX simply put
 
RETURN INPUTBOX("Enter your property value here")
 
Now, whenever you double-click that property in the Property sheet, up pops the InputBox running from your script.
 
This has huge implications which I'll get into in a future post.
 
But I thought right now what I want to do is write about all the great features available in the Visual FoxPro 9 beta. Download it from http://msdn.microsoft.com/vfoxpro
 
 
 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Blogs and RSS come to Microsoft.com

MS has just introduced their portal and it's pretty comprehensive. Nothing quite like learning that some people use AIM instead of MSN messenger, or that there really may be a need for supporting 4 monitors ( Cyrus Complains ) However, it's really a great sign that MS is serious about supporting the blogging community which seems to have um, exploded in size in the past year. Blogs and RSS come to Microsoft.com
1 comment
Read more

Elevating Project Specifications with Three Insightful ChatGPT Prompts

For developers and testers, ChatGPT, the freely accessible tool from OpenAI, is game-changing. If you want to learn a new programming language, ask for samples or have it convert your existing code. This can be done in Visual Studio Code (using GitHub CoPilot) or directly in the ChatGPT app or web site.  If you’re a tester, ChatGPT can write a test spec or actual test code (if you use Jest or Cypress) based on existing code, copied and pasted into the input area. But ChatGPT can be of huge value for analysts (whether system or business) who need to validate their needs. There’s often a disconnect between developers and analysts. Analysts complain that developers don’t build what they asked for or ask too many questions. Developers complain that analysts haven’t thought of obvious things. In these situations, ChatGPT can be a great intermediary. At its worst, it forces you to think about and then discount obvious issues. At best, it clarifies the needs into documented requirements. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Programmers vs. Developers vs. Architects

I received an email this morning from Brandon Savage 's newsletter. Brandon's a PHP guru (works at Mozilla) but his newsletter and books have some great overall perspectives for developers of all languages. However, this last one (What's the difference between developers and architects?) kind of rubs me the wrong way. Either that, or I've just missed the natural inflation of job descriptions. (maybe, it's like the change in terminology between Garbage man and Waste Engineer or Secretary and Office Administrator) So maybe it's just me - but I think there's still a big difference between Programmer, Developer and then of course, architect. The key thing here is that every role has a different perspective and every one of those perspectives has value. The original MSF create roles like Product Manager, Program Manager, Developer, Tester, etc - so every concept may pigeon hole people into different roles. But the statements Brandon makes are often distinction...
12 comments
Read more