>I have an app I am tring to distribute. I am using Visual Studio Installer to create my distribution. I am having trouble with the app not able to find the data files. Suppose in my main.prg I set the default path to c:\Test and during the install the user sets up the app in c:\Whatever. How do I reconcile this?
You should never hard code a path in your app. I never use SET DEFAULT TO in any PRG I have ever written. It simply is not needed. The only thing you may need is setting a PATH to where all the related files should be. These paths, ideally, should be relative paths to where the app is installed to.
I do have an exception to this however. On a server, I have an app tree like
+ Apps
+ Permits
+ AppUpdts
+ Data
+ Reports
If this is a standalone app, the AppUpdts, Data, and Reports folders are subfolders in the App installation folder.
So in my app, I have a table where the UNC path to the server is kept. Then I can set a path to the DATA and REPORTS folders on the server or the local standalone PC.
The AppUpdts folder is where I place new APP files which get copied to the app installation folder the next time the user launches the app. Many of us use the technique of actually launching a small VFP EXE that looks for new app files, copies them to the app folder, then starts the app with a
DO ("MyApp") command. By placing the app name in parens and quotes prevents the project manager from wanting to include the app in the project.
Mark McCasland
Midlothian, TX USA