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Creating the User Interface

  • Article

A well-designed interface can guide users through your application. Forms, classes, controls, menus, and toolbars provide a rich set of tools for designing a great user interface.

In This Section

  • Creating Forms
    Your application must have forms to make it possible for users to view and enter data. However, you can customize standard forms visually and programmatically to create a specialized environment for your users.
  • Working with Forms
    After creating your form, you can run, hide, or alter it in different ways.
  • Using Controls
    Controls manage the interactions between users and your application. Microsoft Visual FoxPro offers a variety of controls to enhance your application interface.
  • Designing Menus and Toolbars
    A good menu system tells your users a lot about the design and structure of your application. Planning menus and toolbars carefully can improve the usability of your application and provide immediate access to common tasks.

Developing Visual FoxPro Applications

This section includes conceptual information about how to develop Visual FoxPro applications, instructions for creating databases and the user interface, and other tasks needed to create Visual FoxPro applications.

Creating the Application

Discusses how to create Visual FoxPro application, which may include one or more databases, a main program that sets up the application's system environment, and a user interface comprised of forms, toolbars, and menus.

Setting the Starting Point

Describes how the main file is the starting point for your application, and can consist of a program or form. When your application is run, Visual FoxPro launches the main file for your application, which in turn runs all other components as needed.

Initializing the Environment

Setting up the application environment is the first task that a main file or application object must accomplish.

Controlling the Event Loop

Learn how to establish an event loop to, which causes Visual FoxPro to begin processing user events such as mouse clicks and keystrokes. This occurs after the environment is set up and you've displayed the initial user interface.

Creating Applications with the Application Framework

Explains how to create applications with the Application Framework using the Application Wizard and the Application builder.

Client/Server Performance Optimization

Learn how you can fine-tune your application to gain maximum performance by increasing data throughput.

Upsizing Visual FoxPro Databases

Explains how to use the upsizing wizards to move databases, tables, and views from your system to a remote Microsoft SQL Server.

Creating International Applications

Describes how you can design and develop your Visual FoxPro applications so they are as effective internationally as domestically.