BUG: WCOLS() and WROWS() Do Not Match SIZE Clause

ID: Q117234

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft FoxPro for Windows, versions 2.5, 2.5a, 2.5b, 2.6
• Microsoft FoxPro for Macintosh, version 2.5b, 2.5c

SYMPTOMS

The value returned by WCOLS() or WROWS() is not consistent with the values specified after the SIZE clause of a DEFINE WINDOW command.

CAUSE

When the SIZE clause of the DEFINE WINDOW command is used to define a window, the resulting window will be one pixel higher and one pixel wider than expected. The difference between the values reported by WCOLS() or WROWS() and the specified size will vary if the window contains a scroll bar or if clauses other than SIZE, FROM, and FONT are specified after the DEFINE WINDOW command.

RESOLUTION

When the SIZE clause is used with the DEFINE WINDOW command, the resulting window will always be one pixel higher and one pixel wider than specified. If the additional pixel is not desired, you must specify lower values after the SIZE clause so a window of the desired height and width can be defined. Since the FONTMETRIC() function can be used to determine the size of the differential, you can calculate the values that must be used to compensate for this behavior. For examples of how to perform these calculations, see the "More Information" section below.

NOTE: This solution applies only to windows that are defined with the DEFINE WINDOW clause and for which no clauses other than SIZE, FROM, and FONT are specified. This solution does not apply to windows with scroll bars.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

The following code sample demonstrates and explains the difference between the values returned by WCOLS() and WROWS() and the values specified after the SIZE clause of the DEFINE WINDOW command:

   mfont = "Courier New"
   msize = 10

   mbegcol = 2
   mbegrow = 2
   msizerow = 30
   msizecol = 50

   * A window is defined. This window will have the size,
   * coordinates, and font attributes specified above.

   DEFINE WINDOW test ;
        FROM mbegcol,mbegrow ;
        SIZE msizerow,msizecol ;
        FONT mfont,msize

   ACTIVATE WINDOW test

   * The value returned by WROWS() will be larger than the
   * value specified for the size of the window. In this
   * particular example, WROWS() will be 30.063. This is
   * larger than the specified size by a value of 0.063.

   ? "WROWS()    = "+STR(WROWS(),10,3)
   ? "SIZE ROWS  = "+STR(msizerow,10,3)
   ? "DIFFERENCE = "+STR(WROWS()-msizerow,10,3)
   ?

   * The value returned by WCOLS() will be larger than the
   * value specified for the size of the window. In this
   * particular example, WCOLS() will be 50.125. This is
   * larger than the specified size by a value of 0.125.

   ? "WCOLS()    = "+STR(WCOLS(),10,3)
   ? "SIZE COLS  = "+STR(msizecol,10,3)
   ? "DIFFERENCE = "+STR(WCOLS()-msizecol,10,3)
   ?

   * These lines are used to show the height and width for
   * the font that was specified after the FONT clause of
   * the DEFINE WINDOW command for this window. In this
   * example, we see that Courier New has a width of 8 pixels
   * and a height of 16 pixels.

   ? "WIDTH(Pixels)  = "+STR(FONTMETRIC(6,mfont,msize),2,0)
   ? "HEIGHT(Pixels) = "+STR(FONTMETRIC(1,mfont,msize),2,0)
   ?

   * The "DIFFERENCE" numbers shown above were calculated by
   * subtracting the value returned by WROWS() from the number
   * of rows specified after the SIZE clause and by subtracting
   * the value returned by WCOLS() from the number of columns
   * specified after the SIZE clause.  The same difference
   * values can be calculated with the formulas shown below.
   * The difference between the value returned by WROWS() and
   * the value specified after the SIZE clause is equal to
   * 1/pixel width. In this case, 1/8 = .125, which is
   * precisely the value shown as the "row difference" above.

   ? "DIFFERENCE/ROWS (1/Pixels) = " + ;
        STR(1/FONTMETRIC(1,mfont,msize),10,3)
   ? "DIFFERENCE/COLS (1/Pixels) = " + ;
        STR(1/FONTMETRIC(6,mfont,msize),10,3)

   ?

   = INKEY(0)

   RELEASE WINDOW test

To determine the number of rows that were specified after the SIZE clause of the DEFINE WINDOW command, this code can be executed when the window is active:

   ? WROWS() - 1/FONTMETRIC(1,mfont,msize)

   ? WCOLS() - 1/FONTMETRIC(6,mfont,msize)

   mfont = "Courier New"
   msize = 10
   mbegcol = 2
   mbegrow = 2
   msizerow = 30
   msizecol = 50

   msizerow = msizerow - 1/FONTMETRIC(1,mfont,msize)
   msizecol = msizecol - 1/FONTMETRIC(6,mfont,msize)

   DEFINE WINDOW test ;
        FROM mbegcol,mbegrow ;
        SIZE msizerow,msizecol ;
        FONT mfont,msize