How do I create an .EXE which *works*?

[CherryHintonBlue]

I've been using VFP3.0 for the last few years, but none of its Wizards and features and other stuff. My requirements are very simple, I just write PRGs which would probably still run under dBase III+ where I learned to code in the first place.
Recently however, I've needed to create an executable version of one of my simple data entry and processing applications which can be run by a colleague without VFP. So I invested in 7.0.
What a shock - it's moved into another universe and left those of us with ultra-simple requirements way, way behind now. Big respect to all you guys who work in this brave new world. So I diligently learned all about "projects" and stuff, and surprised myself by successfully creating an .EXE version of my tiny single-PRG, single-table application. I clicked on it and it worked!
Sadly, when I sent it to my colleague, messages started to appear such as "MSVCR70.DLL not found". Reading other messages on this forum and at MSDN suggest that if I put it all together using Installshield Express, the relevant files would all be included. But I've battled with that for the last couple of hours, and it's nearly as intimidating as VFP7.0!
So (and you knew I'd get to the question eventually), is there a simple list of files I need to include with my EXE and my DBF so that my colleague can actually get on with entering the data? Or is there any easier way of creating an executable version of my program? At the moment I feel like just buying my colleague his own copy of VFP, but the PRG/DBF is so simple, it really would be using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

 

[danceman]

I do not remember what the name is but on your VFP 7 CD there is a document that discribes the installshield process with the files needed. Attitude is Everything

 

[CherryHintonBlue]

Thanks Danceman. You're talking about F:\technical articles\vfpdeploy.doc I suspect, which is a nice walkthrough of using Installshield Express (so long as you have any idea what ODBC DSNs, registry hives and the like happen to be ...I don't!). But I just wondered if I could avoid the Installshield Express thing completely, as it looks so intimidating when I fire it up.

 

[Mike Gagnon]

CherryHintonBlue

There is no easy answer to your problem. Part of writting a program in VFP (Which at first you must admit was as frustating as you current problem), is to install it. Unfortunatly as programmers we devote alot of time, learning and developing, but very little time is put into the rest of the steps to make a successfull program (including installing it). Danceman's suggestion is the right one, read carefully the vfpdeploy.doc document, do some testing on your own machine and it will coem eventually. BTW the MSVCR70.DLL is listed in tah document as a required file to run a VFP7.0 app. It's C++ runtime file (since most of VFP is written in C++).

The link also might help you:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnfoxtk02/html/ft02a1.asp

 

[wjs2]

CherryHintonBlue,

Can't add much to what has already been said, but, hopefully, some encouragement. Up until 3 years ago, I was in the same boat you seem to be in right now. Except I hadn't touched a dbase, fox pro, clipper or anything like it in 10 years (as most of my work was with mainframe systems). Then, I went to work for a guy that had a fox 2.6 system and he wanted it converted to Windows. Scared s----less, I jumped on it anyway. Got VFP 6.0 and visited this site often. The people on this forum have been great. With their help, this system runs 10 million record tables faster than it did under Fox 2.6, interfaces into office products (Word and Excel), sends email and gives the user more control over what they see in forms and reports.

This is just to say, You can do this. It isn't magic, but it's close. Come here often and ask your questions. Even if they don't have the exact answer to your question, they will usually know a place where you can find what your looking for.

They didn't pay me to say this. They should have, but they didn't.

Good luck
WJS

 

[teresas]

CherryHintonBlue,

I have not used InstallShield yet, either, and I also write apps for colleagues.

I was able to solve the "MSVCR70.DLL" and other files "not found" errors by copying the dlls from my PC to the network directory containing the exe.

This is my "simple list of files":

MSVCR70.DLL
VFP7RENU.DLL
VFP7R.DLL

I consider this a temporary solution until I learn to use InstallShield and can install the exe's on the workstations.

Teresa

 

[rgbean]

Teresa,
I'm glad you consider this a "temporary" solution, because it can cause a lot of "strange" problems and/or errors. VFP 7.0 and it's three runtime files require that a number of the system support files be current also and if they aren't, well ... The older the OS and the older the update level the more likely the troubles will occur. A new XP Pro system will likely work with just these three files, a Win95 system that last had Office 95 installed will probably fail - sooner or later!

Rick

 

[ahaws]

wjs2-
My sediments exactly! This is an enormously fabulous site! Kudos to all!
Angie