May 10 meeting--Another double-header

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, May 10 at 7:00 PM. As usual, feel free to come any time after 6:30 and bring something to eat.

We again have a double-header scheduled for this month. Jim Walsh will present “An example of developing a COM server in VFP," which was carried over from our last meeting. Raymond Knight will present "Grid Column Header Sorting Made Easy."

Jim Walsh has a PhD in Physiology and Biophysics, and an MS in Physics. He is an independent consultant specializing in biomedical, scientific and engineering applications, primarily in VFP and C++.

Jim's talk is entitled “An example of developing a COM server in VFP”. COM servers represent a good strategy for providing functionality that is needed by several programs written in different languages. Jim will describe the development of a COM server that provides access to the data in a Firebird database for VFP and C++ clients. Visual FoxPro makes developing COM servers relatively easy. It hides many of the underlying details. But, can the things hidden by the Fox come back to bite you?


Raymond has 30 years development experience since 1981 with heavy user contact and 4 years of call center (1991-1995) experience at the Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC) in Warminster. Heavy C#/Visual Studio 2005 and ADO.NET along with heavy VISUAL FOXPRO design and programming through version 9. Very strong relational database background including heavy hands on SQL Server 2000/2005. For example, designed SQL tables for conversion of CCALC system from DBF’s to SQL tables. Previously converted a Salesman Commission System (CCALC) from VISUAL FOXPRO 8 to C#/ADO.NET and SQL Server 2000/2005. Previously worked in VISUAL BASIC 6.0. Presently doing work in VISUAL FOXPRO including DBF to SQL conversions.

The description of his session is:

Through the use of this grid column sorting class one can avoid the drawn out process of enabling each column in each grid for ascending and descending sorts. One need only throw this class onto a form and it will automatically find all the grids on a form and it will automatically enable column sorting for each column in each grid. You can also disable any columns within a grid that you don't want to be sorted as well as disabling whole grids through the properties settings. As an added feature, if a column is defined as character the actual sorting method within the grid sorting class will try determine the actual type (date, numeric, etc.) if the type is not really a character type. As a final feature, if the proper property is set the up and down arrow keys will go from top to bottom and bottom to top which a normal foxpro grid does not do when it comes to up and down arrow keys.