Its almost like Santa brought me the perfect gift.
I write all the business software (NOT the website) for my nephew Brian Cushnie, who runs this very successful business:
http://www.tennisfundamentals.com/I use the same development software for this application as for my Genie products - Visual Foxpro Version 7.0.
Matter of interest, John Cushnie, the popular (UK) BBC TV and Radio Gardening Programs presenter is a cousin of Brians dad!
He's also one of the experts in Gardeners World, the most popular gardening magazine in the UK.
Big Brian (he's all of 6ft 3ins - useful for tennis serves) phoned on the Saturday before Christmas to say he'd bought me a copy of Visual Foxpro 9.0
He'd heard my laments about how much I needed that new version.
I had it installed that evening!
Does it do all the new things I expected?
Yes, yes, yes!
It has an even bigger box of tricks, of course. Heres the things which are of most general interest.
Hyperlinks:Currently, when you type a web address (URL) into an edit box (e.g. the large data field where you type in Plant Data) the web address is NOT activated. Its plain text - dead.
In V9.0, the link is activated (shows as underlined) and when you click the link, the web page opens in your default web browser.
I've had to do computer gymnastics to work aound this in the older version (see the full display edit screen GA100S09 in IG series, FG100S09 in FG)
Full screen Display:Developers design their software to run on a certain screen resolution. Usually its to suit W98 users on 800x600 screen resolution.
If a user has a larger screen resolution (all monitors shipped with computers running XP are 1024x768, laptops can have even higher resolution) then the developer MAY be able to build something into the software to detect screen resolution, and resize accordingly.
Users take this for granted. Believe me, its NOT easy for developers.
Up to now, Ive had to work around this using VFP7.0
First, I applied a solution using what is called a "class" in FG. It was developed by Dale Doderoy, an expert Foxpro progammer from the Phillipines.
It worked very well, but I have to make minor adjustments, otherwise the controls are a bit "quirky" (i.e. can overlap, can be out of position slightly).
Then I applied a better solution to IG Pro. This solution was developed by Marcia Akins from Ohio, an expert in the field of Foxpro development.
These experts live and breath Foxpro, and share their expertise freely.
I customised Marcias code to suit IG Pro. This solution gave me the additional luxury of allowing the user to select a font size (IG Pro users have seen this in Preferences - GA198). The controls are accurately positioned.
Bank Genie was not size-adjusted. Ive been waiting on VFP 9.0. Its now on the upgrade agenda.
I should explain. CONTROLS: are buttons, fields, pop-ups etc- anything visual on the screen!
VFP 9 now copes with screen resizing. Accurately and efficiently!
However, having converted a few screens, Ive concluded that the new Full Screen facility which I provided recently in IG Pro is more flexible.
That Font Size parameter is neat!
Ive now decided - that feature will stay in IG Pro and Bonsai Genie.
It will also be worked into FG and Bank Genie.
IMAGES:VFP 9.0 allows a wider range of image file types. Up to now, the one which has caused me most grief has been TIFF files. VFP7 couldnt handle them. (It was fine with jpg's, bmp's and GIF's of course).
Chrissie (the Gardener on our forum) prefers TIFF files, and has 1000's of photos, so this was a major obstacle when she began using Flower Genie.
I tried the new VFP9 software out with a TIFF file from Chrissie, and I'm delighted to say,it worked a treat.
It also copes with a large array of image file types - in fact anything GDI compliant which is currently existing, and remarkably, any new formats which come on the scene at a later date (per the Help file).
