MODIFY REPORT - Missing options on Menu

I am running VFP9 and have written a program to allow users to modify a report layout (.frx). In broad terms I open a couple of related tables and then execute a MODIFY REPORT command.

The report designer screen does indeed come up, but the menu entries are restricted to :

​

File Edit Window Help

If, by contrast, I fire up Foxpro, and in the command window I key in

MODIFY REPORT​

. . then I get the full range of options on the menu, including Report and Program

I also get the Report designer and Standard Toolbars displayed.

Do I need to have included further commands in my program, before I call MODIFY REPORT?

A futher oddity. On my own system, under control of the said program, when I have a screen layout displayed, I can double click on a label or a field and I get the full properties window displayed, including its 7 tabs, starting with General. This is good. On my client's system, running what I believe is my same program, I do not get the full properties window (for the Label &c), but only a simple window with no tabs. Any ideas?

Thanks. Andrew

 

[DSummZZZ]

As I recall, you are limited as to which options are even available at run time.
Here is an article that may be useful:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/x87zy1z1(v=vs.80).aspx

-Dave Summers-

Even more Fox stuff at:

http://www.davesummers.net/foxprolinks.htm

 

[DougHennig]

Hi Andrew.

You need to distribute ReportBuilder.app with your application and set _REPORTBUILDER = 'ReportBuilder.app' somewhere in your startup code.

Doug

 

[AndrewMozley]

Thank you very much, Dave (for your very prompt reply) which pointed me in the right direction, also Doug. Your suggestions have been most helpful

In the matter of my 2nd query (Not all properties visible when double-clicking on a Label or Field) I have now copied the 3 files
C:\Program files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\VFP ReportBuilder.app, ReportOutput.app, ReportPreview.app

. . . into each client's machine and that seems to have solved the problem where not all the properties would come up on my customer's installation. Is this solution specific to Windows XP? Will I need to put these files into a different folder under Windows 7 or 8. Is this perhaps something that I can specify with InstallShield?

I did not actually set _REPORTBUILDER = 'ReportBuilder.app' - maybe that is the default?

I am still not clear why I do not get the full menu available when in the report designer. I did see that Mike Lewis had made some notes, where he recommended copying the foxuser.* files into the default folder at run-time, but I have not got that to work.

Thanks again. Andrew

 

[Mike Lewis]

I have now copied the 3 files
C:\Program files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\VFPReportBuilder.app, ReportOutput.app, ReportPreview.app

. . . into each client's machine and that seems to have solved the problem where not all the properties would come up on my customer's installation. Is this solution specific to Windows XP? Will I need to put these files into a different folder under Windows 7 or 8.

Andrew,

In general, you should never hard-code the paths to these "special" folders. I don't off-hand know if these particular folders have changed in Windows 7 and 8, but it would be good practice to assume they have - or that they might in the future. I don't know InstallShield very well, but I assume it gives you a way of referencing these folders without hard-coding the paths.

That said, my own choice would be to put these particular files in the executable directory, that is, the one containing your main EXE program. That way, VFP is sure to find them, and they won't interfere with any other versions of the same files that you might happen to have installed.

Mike

__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Visual FoxPro articles, tips and downloads

 

[DSummZZZ]

Is this solution specific to Windows XP?

I have that same folder on my W7 box, but I'm with Mike. Just put those files in the same directory as the executable and you won't have to worry about paths.
InstallShield will indeed let you specify where to put them.
Also, I believe _REPORTBUILDER = 'ReportBuilder.app' is the default setting, but it probably references the VFP 9 install path in the IDE and not the default. It may be empty at runtime, but that's easy enough to set in your 'main' PRG.



-Dave Summers-

Even more Fox stuff at:

http://www.davesummers.net/foxprolinks.htm