The LA Fox Developer Newsletter

June 1997

Hot Tip...

Use Your Modem

as a Phone Dialer

usage

this example dials a phone number on comi:

*

=dialer("1-800-555-1 212",1)

function dialer

parameters telnum,cport

dialstr”ATDr+telnum

WAIT ‘Press Enter to Dial, any other key to cancel’ WINDOW

NOWAIT

keypress=INKEY(O,’H’)

IF keypress 13

tcom&COM’+alttrfm(str(cport))

handleFOPEN(”&tcom”,12) && attempt to open port

IF handle < 0

WAIT “Can’t Open Communications Port, Check Setup”

WINDOW

RETURN

ENDIF

=FPUTS(handle,dialstr) && dial number

WAIT ‘Dialing... Lift Phone and press any key’ WINDOW

=FPUTS(handle,”ATH”) && hang up modem

=FPUTS(handle,”ATZ”) && mit modem

=FCLOSE(handle)

ENDIF

Out and About (Con’t from page 2)

regulate data-scrambling technologies but the FBI warned that

such a move would cripple law enforcement and leave the

country more vulnerable to terrorism. In an open letter to

Clinton the corporate chiefs said U.S. competitiveness in

electonic commerce is at stake in the encryption debate.

‘Network users must have confidence that their communica-

tions, whether personal letters, financial transactions, or

sensitive business information, are secure and private.” Signing

the letter were Bill Gates, Andy Grove (Intel), and the heads of

Adobe Systems, AutoDesk, Bentley Systems, Compaq, SCO,

Symantec, Claris, Digital Equipment, Lotus Development,

Novell, and Sybase. FBI Director Louis Freeh told Congress

that the U.S is at a “historical crossroads” on the issue.

“Uncrackable encryption will allow drug lords, terrorists, and

even gangs to communicate with impunity”, Freeh told a Senate

Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on the FBI.

Driveways of the Rich and Famous. If you want a real hoot,

visit http://www.driveways.com.

Microsoft announced that its updated version of Windows NTis

slated for final release in the first half of next year. Test versions

of the software will be ready this fall.

Join LA Fox

MnuClass - Object-Oriented

Menu Programming in VFP

by Mark Hall

London, England

I was really annoyed when Microsoft failed to update the menu

builder in VFP. We have all the wonders of object oriented

programming, but are doomed to using DEFINE MENU I PAD /

POPUP and BAR for creating menus.

Here’s the answer. A couple of class definitions that allow you

to program your menus in a totally object oriented manner.

Previously awkward features (check marks, dynamically adding

/ removing options, changing the caption, changing the mes-

sage) are now stupendously easy.

You simply create an object for each menu option. The objects

are structured in the same way that the menu is displayed. e.g.

To reference the Save option on the File menu, you might use:

oMenu.File.Save

To disable the save option:

oMenu.File.Save.Enabled(.f.)

Full documentation is included, along with a detailed, fully

commented demonstration program.

It’s FREE. Pass it around. Enjoy.

(Ed. Note: Mark’s mnuclass may be downloaded by visiting his

website at http://www.users.dircon.co. uk/markh/home.htm.]

“Short Takes”

comp.databases.xbase.fox is an unmoderated USENET

newsgroup currently receMng about 150-200 messages per

week. A “Frequently Asked Questions” list in 3 parts is posted

regularly and is also available from ftp.rahul.net as file

foxfaq.zip. If your Internet provider doesn’t have this

newsgroup, ask your system administrator to add it to the

groups your system receives.

Data Dependencies & Normalization - http://osler.wustl.edu/

cs53Ofldsñndex.htm!

Jason Landry’s GENSCRNX Page - http://

www.netgadgets.com/genscmx/default.asp

The Web Developer’s Virtual Library - http://www.stars.com/

Page 5