Basic Steps to Create a VPM Application

1. Design Your Application
Before you run Visual ProMatrix, design your application. Have your menu and database structure mapped out as best you can.

Let’s Be Real: We fully realize that many of you will start creating your application in Visual ProMatrix before you have designed your application fully — if at all. That’s not perfect, but it’s OK. If you tend to design your application at the keyboard, you are better off using Visual ProMatrix than Visual FoxPro from scratch because Visual ProMatrix automatically provides a design that will get you started.

2. New Project — Starter Application
After you have designed your application, run Visual ProMatrix. Select the New Project option on the Visual ProMatrix File menu to let VPM create a starter application for you. You will complete your application by building on the starter application. In just a few minutes VPM’s New Project option will create a Visual FoxPro application for you that would take an experienced developer a year or more to create from scratch.

3. Menu Builder
Select the Menu Builder option on the VPM Tools menu and enter your application’s menu prompts. Don’t insert menu commands. VPM will insert menu commands for you when you use the Object Builder to create the Application Objects that run from the menu prompts. You manage your application’s menus through the Visual ProMatrix Menu Builder. You can create as many menus as your application needs.

4. Data Builder
Select the Data Builder option on the Visual ProMatrix Tools menu to create your application’s database. You can import existing databases and tables or create them from scratch. The VPM Data Builder organizes your access to your application’s data. The Visual ProMatrix Data Builder provides many more table and field properties than you will find in the Visual FoxPro Database Container. What’s more, Visual ProMatrix lets you use the Data Builder table and field properties for free tables as well as tables in a DBC

Important: We cannot stress enough how important it is to create and set up your application’s databases, tables and fields in the Visual ProMatrix Data Builder before you begin developing Application Objects. If you do, you will find that creating Application Objects will be much easier and faster.

5. Object Builder
Use the Object Builder window and the Object Editors to create your Application Objects. After you have entered your application’s menu prompts and created its database in the Data Builder, you’re ready to create the forms, programs, reports, queries and labels.

6. Report Builder
Select the Report Builder option on the VPM Tools menu to create reports. The end-product of database applications is reports. With Visual ProMatrix you can build reports that run from menu options or from VPM’s unique Report Manager. Visual ProMatrix puts the Report Builder into every application you create.

7. Security Builder
Select the Security Builder option on the Visual ProMatrix Tools menu to set up your application’s Menu and Controls security. Be sure to set up and run the Security Builder before you package your application. for distribution.

8. Product Builder
Select the Product Builder option on the Visual ProMatrix Tools menu to package your application for distribution to users. The Product Builder steps you through the creation of an .EXE file and the Visual FoxPro Setup Wizard to create distribution disks.

That’s It!
That’s it! Nothing could be simpler. Behind the scenes while you are building your application, Visual ProMatrix will be automatically adding features and Visual FoxPro code that will make your application truly professional.