Novice needs general help in learning FoxPro 2.5

[pixiepoet]

Hello all!

I am trying to learn to program FoxPro 2.5. I don't know where to begin. I currently am the network administrator for a NetWare server based network (Win 98/XP workstations) and they expect me to also troubleshoot their proprietary FoxPro codes. I have programmed in C++ before but FoxPro seems mcuh different.

What resources would you recommend? Any good learning websites? Any good books?

Thank you in advance!

 

[TomKane]

The foxpro programming language is an xbase - not unlike clipper or dbase, something like that.

Foxpro isn't too bad (2.6) in that the command window will show the syntax and how to use commands, etc.

Unfortunately I don't have any ideas about training resources - maybe you could try looking at the microsoft web site or at google.

 

[DSummZZZ]

Be careful! Once you start using Fox, you are going to want to abandon C++!
Seriously though, you will find that a lot of things you have to work for using C (C++, VC...) have been built into Fox.
The best thing you could probably do is to look at the examples, or the proprietary code, and press the F1 key a lot. A lot of the lines of code contained in a .prg files can be executed interactively from the command window. o you can try them at leisure.
Fox is a relational database management system and as such, concentrates on data files, i.e., storing and retrieving records. You won't find much low-level stuff in there.
Dave S.

 

[JRB-Bldr]

Unfortunately you are being asked to begin learning a programming language that Microsoft has long ago obsoleted.

The books that used to be on the shelf for Foxpro 2.5/2.6 have long ago been sold out. And Visual Foxpro, while retaining many of the good attributes and many of the basic commands of the older non-Visual Foxpro is enough different that its programming methodologies (OOP, etc.) will most likely confuse you.

Your best resource will be the source code itself combined with the Foxpro Help screens. Unless your program was developed by one of the very experienced gurus here, it is most likely that your source code is reasonably "readable" - sort of "what you see is what you get".

While examining the code, make frequent use of the Help screens to explain the command and the syntax and you will most likely see what the programmer was attempting to accomplish.

If you get into difficulties with specific parts feel free to post a question here (please be as specific as possible) and we'll gladly attempt to help you out.

If I can be of any further service to you feel free to contact me.

Good Luck,
JRB-Bldr
VisionQuest Consulting
Business Analyst & CIO Consulting Services
CIOServices@yahoo.com

 

[CJWARNER]

Is that the DOS version or Windows version of FoxPro 2.5? I know you said you have Windows 98 and Windows XP PCs and the DOS stuff could run under that.

That product is obsolete but most of the programming language in it is still good to this day in newer versions of Visual FoxPro. It's just nowadays the tools are much better, there are more commands and functions, and the methodology is true event-driven OOP.

I have old books here on that version of the Fox, but it sure would be much better if you'd learned something that actually is current technology.

 

[acf]

Hi

There ARE still people running courses on FOXPRO 2.6 - at least in England. I arranged a 3-day starter for a colleague late last year, and that gave him sufficient background to maintain our existing systems. Try searching on Google. 2.5 and 2.5 are not significantly different...