Upgrading to Visual FoxPro 8.0 from Visual FoxPro 7.0

Target Audience
The course is designed for individuals who are familiar with Visual FoxPro and want to receive hands-on experience of the features of Visual FoxPro 8.0.

Pre-Requisites
Before attending this course, students must have the following pre-requisites:Knowledge of Visual FoxPro 7.0 programmingORAttendance on CourseF1013, Visual FoxPro7.0 Intensive.

Purpose
This course introduces the key new features and functionality of Visual FoxPro 8.0. By the end of the day delegates will have exposure to many of the major enhancements in productivity and functionality.NB. Depending on the specific requirements of the delegates attending each course, some aspects of the course will receive more attention than others. If required, additional workshop days can be arranged to cover other topics in more detail.

Course outline

1. Visual FoxPro 8.0 Overview
2. The Toolbox
3. Code References
4. The Task Pane Manager
5. Better Tools
6. Improved Data Access
7. XML Classes
8. Other Data-Related Changes
9. OOP Enhancements
10. COM and Web Services Enhancements
11. Event Binding
12. Error Handling
13. Language Improvements
14. Bits and Pieces

Module 1:Visual FoxPro 8.0 Overview

• Run through of new components and functions
• Run through of amended components and functions

Module 2:The Toolbox

• Opening the Toolbox
• Working with the Toolbox
• Working with categories
• Working with items including adding items to the Toolbox, setting item properties, using items and setting instance properties
• Customizing the Toolbox including configuring the Toolbox, determining the behaviour of class items, filtering the Toolbox, managing categories and working with the source code

Module 3:Code References

• Running the Code References tool
• Searching for Strings
• Examining search results including the list of searches, the list of matches and the description pane
• Replacing matches
• Generating output
• Looking for definitions
• Code References Options
• Code References data
• Customizing Code References including the RefAddin table, working with the source code, replacing the supplied application and running the Code References directly

Module 4:The Task Pane Manager

• Running the Task Pane Manager
• The Start Pane
• The Community Pane
• The Environment Manager Pane
• The Solution Samples Pane
• The XML Web Services Pane
• The Filer Pane
• The Minesweeper Pane
• Errors Happen
• Customizing the Task Pane Manager including working with the source code
• Extending the Task Pane Manager including adding third-party panes, creating and modifying panes, publishing panes and panes and files

Module 5:Better Tools

• A working Query/View Designer including getting joins right, two-way editing, specifying local aliases and field names, specifying expressions, where do the results go?
• Improved Reporting including setting report options, more control over header and footer, adding captions, page x of y, output issues, more data choices, more keyboard support
• Improved Form Designer and Class Designer including support for non-visual classes, method editor changes, property sheet improvements
• Moving menu items
• Working with source code
• Projects and source control
• Distributing applications

Module 6:Improved Data Access

• Cursor Adapter PEMs
• Data Source Type
• Data Source
• Alias
• UseDEDataSource
• SelectCmd
• CursorSchema
• AllowDelete, AllowInsert, AllowUpdate, and SendUpdates
• KeyFieldList, Tables, UpdateFieldList, and UpdateNameList
• *Cmd, *CmdDataSource, *CmdDataSourceType
• ConversionFunc
• Other Properties
• CursorFill(IUseCursorSchema, INoData, nOptions, oSource)
• CursorRefresh()
• CursorAttach(cAlias, IInheritCursorProperties) and CursorDetach()
• Before*() and After*()
• Putting CursorAdapter to work
• DataEnvironment, Form and other changes
• Builders
• Data Source Specifics including using native data, using ODBC, using ADO, using XML
• Update Issue
• Reusable Data Classes

Module 7:XML Classes

• XMLAdapter
• Updategrams versus diffgrams
• XML Table
• XML Field
• Tying it all together
• XML ToCursor changes

Module 8:Other Data-Related Changes

• Automatically incrementing field values
• Improved Table Designer
• SQL changes
• Enhanced language elements including caption expressions, data objects and better support for collate sequences
• OLE DB provider changes
• ODBC changes
• Detecting table corruption

Module 9:OOP Enhancements

• Defining member classes
• New base classes including a built-in collection class and an ultra-lightweight base class
• Adding and removing properties on the fly
• Fewer errors with DoDefault
• Delayed binding
• Improved performance with objects
• Support for Windows XP
• Improved image support
• Better tooltips and status information
• Grid enhancements
• - Locking columns
• - Sizing columns to fit
• - A real row highlight
• Controlling picture position
• Control tab orientation
• Odds and Ends
• - Keep output off of forms
• - Hyperlinks in controls
• - Combo box improvements
• - Button colouring
• - Refresh methods for static objects
• - More control over moverbar actions
• - One more mouse pointer

Module 10:COM and Web Services Enhancements

• COM enhancements including default instancing for EXE servers, type library improvements and byte array support
• Web Services enhancements including registering Web services
• Exploring Web services including using Web services and publishing Web services

Module 11:Event Binding

• Binding Events
• Turning off event binding
• Finding out what's bound
• Firing events
• Using event binding

Module 12:Error Handling

• Structured error handling
• TRY ... ENDTRY
• Less is more
• You can't go back
• Try, try again
• Exception object
• THROW
• The FINALLY clause
• Errors within errors
• Wrap your app

Module 13:Language Improvements

• Files and directories including where is it?, working with hidden files, displaying paths, using system dialogs
• Improved management of text merge
• Checking for empty values
• Better output at design time and run time
• Font control
• Forcing event processing
• SYS() function changes

Module 14:Bits and Pieces

• What's out
• What's in
• Configuration changes
• Improved error reporting
• Other changes