Fw1223.exe Describes Components of a Customized Builder

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INTRODUCTION TO FW1223

A builder is a tool provided by Visual FoxPro for Windows to assist users in the design of objects. The tool presents a series of choices that set properties used in building an object. A builder allows you to quickly design a form by simplifying the process of setting properties for controls. A builder is similar in concept to a Wizard. Both are essential components of Rapid Application Development (RAD), but they differ in their implementation. The goal of a Wizard is to take you step by step through a process to accomplish a common task, whereas a builder lets you adjust the attributes of existing objects at design time.

Visual FoxPro ships with 10 predefined builders: the Edit Box builder, the Option Group builder, the List Box builder, the Grid builder, the Form builder, the Combo Box builder, the Command Group builder, the AutoFormat builder, the Text Box builder, and the Referential Integrity builder. You can call a builder interactively from the shortcut menu in the Form Designer or the Visual Class designer, the Builder button in the Property sheet, or the Builder Lock button in the Form Control toolbar. You can also call the builder from the Command window with a DO command. To set preferences for the Builder Lock button, click the Forms tab in the Options dialog box.

In addition to providing these existing builders, Visual FoxPro offers an open architecture that allows a developer to register and develop new custom builders.