>>>OLEpublic classes have no visual interface. In order to provide a visual interface you write an application in any language that can call an automation server (VB,VC++,VFP,Delphi) and put the visual interface there while accessing the automation server to perform certain NONVISUAL tasks like accessing databases, doing calculations, changing system settings, etc.
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>>Hi Dore,
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>> According to the Microsoft Visual FoxPro 6.0 Programmer's Guide, page 461, "When you create an executable with OLE Public classes, you don't lose any of your normal .exe capabilities. You can still run the executable, provide a user interface, and all the normal functionality you would include in an application."
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>> As I read this section, I interpret the phrase "provide a user interface" to mean to provide a visual user interface, i.e., form with a combobox to select items, etc. Is that not what this means?
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>> I want a VFP, VB, etc. user to be able to call my executable, make selections in that executable, then pass information calculated in the executable back to the calling program so that the calling program can use the calculated information. My thought was that a visual automation server is what I needed. If you have any suggestions on how to accomplish this, I would appreciate it.
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>>Thanks,
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>>TFISHER
>
>Terry,
>I wasn't as clear as I had intended to be.
>Visual programs (.EXEs) that access and utitlize the services of an automation server? This can absolutely be done in VFP and a host of other languages.
>Automation servers that (as part of an EXE or DLL) are available to programs that can access them? These can absolutely be created in VFP (and a host of other languages).
>VISUAL AUTOMATION SERVERs (your term) do not exist. Any user interface has to be provided by the program that accesses the automation server and can't be built into the automation server itself.
>Custom Controls (which do have visual interfaces) can be created in VB, VB5CCE, VC++ and other languages. They don't however have the database manipulation capabilities of VFP.
>I hope this helps to answer your question.
>-Dore

Hi Dore,

I guess I am confused about this issue. I am clear that in VFP5 you could create a .dll and put a visual interface on it, BUT, that it was not recommended. I am clear that in VFP6, visual interfaces can not be put on a .dll. I was, however, under the impression that you could have a visual interface on an .exe in VFP6.

Do you have an understanding of what the Microsoft book is trying to say when they say you can have a "user interface?" A NOTE on the same page (page 461) states: "If you've provided Automation access as well as a user interface for your functionality, ..." What am I missing here? What are they talking about? What do they mean when they say "user interface?"

I know, if you are in VFP or VB, etc., that you can call Word or Excel and you can use these programs to process information and pass that information back to the calling VFP or VB program. Both Word and Excel have a visual interface. Can I not have a program like Word or Excel that a VFP or VB user can call?

Any insight you can provide to clear my thinking on this issue will be appreciated. Or, if you have any references that I can review, I would appreciate that also.

Thanks,

TFISHER