The Chicago Visual Fox Pro Users Group met in July. Tom Corrigan gave an excellent presentation on Dreamweaver Ultra Dev 4. It was a view into the future of programming in which "behaviors" can be dragged and dropped onto Internet programs not only from a local stock of functions but also from the Macromedia (Dreamweaver) web site. We have all been aware of the power of components because we have downloaded specialized class libraries or used active x components, however this was a step further because even minor validation routines have been packaged and made available. The process can done visually without even seeing the code. Tom showed how you can work with these functions as code with upsetting the Dreamweaver code generator.

With Visual Fox Pro 7 being released, we thought the group might be interested in a presentation about its features. We could demonstrate the new Intellisense code editor which has tooltip-like features to remind you of what parameters are required by the command you are currently typing. We could show Install Shield, which will replace the old Install wizard. And we could run through lists of improvements like updateable cursors and XML translation features.

If you'd like this at the August 2nd meeting, respond with a vote for VFP 7.

Other suggestions for presentations included presentations of applications that use some interesting tools and techniques: 1) An Internet Demographics page that uses a specialized data engine for displaying maps of chicago communities using SQL Server and Active Server Pages, 2) a word processor for a blind person using Visual Fox Pro, Microsoft Agent speech synthesis, a spell checker, email controls, and a feature to grab definitions of words from a dictionary web site, or 3) presentation of the Internet Explorer document object model -- specifically ways to disassemble web pages for rendering only those pieces you need.

Reply with your vote and suggestions. Our meetings are downtown at 2 North LaSalle Suite 500 at 5:15 on the 1st Tuesday of the month.