How the User’s Guide is Organized
The next chapter in this User’s Guide, Installation & Setup, leads you through the steps required to install and setup VPM Enterprise for use. The Overview and Basic Mechanics chapters introduce you to basic concepts you need to know to use VPM Enterprise.
Starting with the Creating Applications: Basic Steps chapter, the User’s Guide leads you through the creation of a VPM Enterprise application. The chapters are then laid out in the order of the steps you take to create an application with VPME.
Tip: We recommend working through the VPM Enterprise Tutorial on the VPME Help menu before beginning your first application.
Installation & Setup
Installation instructions for VPM Enterprise. Describes the VPME Tools that you need to set up before you begin creating VPM Enterprise applications.
Overview
An overview of the way VPM Enterprise works and an introduction to the major tools you will use to create VPM Enterprise applications.
Basic Mechanics
A description of some things you need to know before beginning to use VPM.
The Sample Application
A tour of the Sample Application that accompanies VPME to illustrate the kind of functionality that VPME can provide for your applications.
Creating Applications: Basic Steps
An overview of the steps to take to create a Visual FoxPro application with VPM.
Starting a New Application
How you start a new application with VPM Enterprise.
Application Options
How to set up project options for application development.
Building Menus
How to use the VPME Menu Builder to add menu options to the menu VPME automatically puts in new projects. Describes how to create your own menu files. Also, describes how to implement shortcut menus in VPME.
Building Data: The Data Builder
Describes the VPM Enterprise data dictionary and its Data Builder interface. Shows you how to use the Data Builder.
Building Data: Databases
How to use the Data Builder’s Database options to create and manage databases.
Building Data: Tables
How to use the Data Builder’s Tables options to create and manage tables.
Building Data: Views
How to use the Data Builder’s Views options to create and manage local and remote views.
Building Data: CursorAdapters
How to use the Data Builder’s CursorAdapter options to create and manage CursorAdapters to access local and remote data.
Building Data: Fields
How to use the Data Builder’s Fields options to set up table field properties.
Building Data: Picklist Help
How to set up a picklist of valid entries for fields on forms.
Creating Application Objects
Shows you how to use the VPM Enterprise Object Builder and Object Editor’s to create Application Objects — forms, programs, reports, labels and queries.
Building Messages
How to use the VPME data-driven messaging system to modify standard messages and to create your own.
VPM Enterprise Classes
Describes the VPM Enterprise class structure and libraries. Particular emphasis placed on the classes you use to create forms.
Creating Forms: The Basics
Shows the basic steps you take to create a form in VPM Enterprise. Presents the fundamentals of form development so that you will better understand what’s going on when you start using the VPM Enterprise Form Builders to create your forms.
Creating Forms: The Builders
How to use the VPM Enterprise Form and Control Builders. The Builders automate the creation of forms in VPM Enterprise.
Creating Forms: Form Toolbar
Forms you create to maintain data will normally use the VPM Enterprise Form Toolbar. This chapter explains how the toolbar works and how to work with it.
Creating Forms: Tips & Techniques
Tips & techniques for adding special functionality to forms and for using special forms that VPM Enterprise provides.
Creating Forms: Related Forms
Describes VPM Enterprise Related Forms and how to implement them.
Data Handler & Business Rules
Describes how to use the VPME Business Rules class to create and access business rules within an application.
Application Toolbar
Describes how to modify the application toolbar.
Building Reports, Labels & Queries
Shows you how to create Visual FoxPro reports, labels and queries with VPM Enterprise.
Building Help
How Windows-style Help works in a VPM Enterprise application, and how to implement it.
Security
Shows you how to set up VPM Enterprise security features and how to implement security in your applications.
Administrative Tools
Describes VPM Enterprise’s administrative features that aren’t described elsewhere: Activity Tracking, Audit Trail, Error Handling and Reindex / Pack Tables Utility.
Creating a Client-Server Application
How to create a client-server application with VPM Enterprise.
Multilingual: Creating a Multilingual Application
How to create an application that can display text in multiple languages as selected by the user.
Multilingual: Managing Languages
How to manage the languages in your VPME Multilingual application.
Multilingual: Creating Message Translations
How to create translations of application messagtes.
Multilingual: Creating String Translations
How to create translations of application strings.
Multilingual: Running a VPME Multilingual Application
How to use VPME’s Multilingual functionality in an application.
Packaging Your Product
How to use the VPM Enterprise Product Builder to package your application for distribution to your customers.
Packaging Your Update
How to use the VPM Enterprise Update Builder to package an application update to apply modifications to existing application installations.
Team Development & Source Control
Describes how to use VPM Enterprise’s source control support for source control software and for team development under source control.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) about VPM Enterprise.
A Word from One Developer to Another