Hacker's Guide to Visual FoxPro 6.0 [Paperback]

Tamar Granor (Author), Ted Roche (Author), Doug Hennig (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1998

An irreverent look at how Visual FoxPro really works, this book gives users the inside scoop on every command, function, property, event, and method of “Tahoe.”

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The recent edition of Hacker's Guide to Visual FoxPro 6.0 updates this guide with documentation on the latest version, including an extremely comprehensive reference to virtually every aspect of the FoxPro tool and language. For any working FoxPro developer, this massive book can provide a truly in-depth resource.

The most obvious feature of this book is its larger-than-average format (it measures 11 by 8.5 inches). FoxPro developers will turn again and again to the 800 pages of reference material provided here because of its completeness. In addition to every language statement, the authors cover built-in controls, including properties and events. Each topic is described along with sample usage and short code excerpts.

Other sections of the book provide a lively guide to many essential topics specifically applicable to FoxPro, from a good tour of its history (as a product with its roots in XBase compatibility) to its present-day incarnation (with objects and Web capabilities). Peppered with dozens of quotes from literary sources, the authors clearly enjoy sharing their considerable expertise: they include plenty of tips for getting the most out of objects and components in FoxPro, with notable material on debugging and Web development.

Visual FoxPro 6 is designed to be the easiest tool to use in Microsoft's Visual Studio for creating database applications. Hacker's Guide to Visual FoxPro 6.0 shows that this product has considerable power too. This title will surely be useful to anyone who develops with today's FoxPro. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered: Visual FoxPro 6 overview and history, data containers, XBase and SQL, field types, Web publishing, FoxISAPI, Active Documents, wizards and builders, debugging tips and performance tips, FoxPro controls, objects, ActiveX controls and automation, Visual FoxPro reference.

From the Publisher

Concerning the "CD" mentioned in the book - when we first planned the book, we knew it would be bigger than the original 3.0 version. But, as we got close to press time, the book was @400 pages over its expected size. So, we had to choose between cutting 400 pages of material or dropping the CD as a medium for distributing the samples and HTMLHelp version of the book. We chose to go to a larger 8.5x11 size book and keep the content. However, all of the files that would have been on a CD are available via download from our website. Using downloads instead of CDs has also had a silver lining. Updates can be made easily if necessary and are readily available - can't do that with a CD! Enjoy your book! Whil Hentzen, Hentzenwerke Publishing

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 990 pages
• Publisher: Hentzenwerke Publishing (October 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965509362
• ISBN-13: 978-0965509367
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #246,911 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For beginners and experts..., January 5, 2000

By 

Guy Pardoe (New Hampshire) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hacker's Guide to Visual FoxPro 6.0 (Paperback)

This book is probably the best reference book for VFP that is (or ever has been) available.

It can be very helpful for beginners, who are trying to figure out why this or that is not working as intended; but be warned, it is not a 'How To' book. And it can be very helpful for long-time FoxPro developers who need to be continually reviewing and reminding themselves of the intricacies and various uses of the langauge.

If you're a serious developer, this book is great for honing your skills by reading a couple of topics each morning or night for the rest of your life (it's a big book).

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Hacker's Guide to Visual FoxPro 6.0, October 24, 2004

By 

Henry (Charleston, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hacker's Guide to Visual FoxPro 6.0 (Paperback)

I am new to Visual Foxpro after many years of using Foxpro for DOS 2.0 and I thought that this book would help me learn Visual Foxpro.

The authors state in the beginning of the book that if you are looking to learn Visual Foxpro from a beginners level then this book isn't for you. The authors state that the book is an intermediate level book.

The book is mainly a glorified help menu like what you would find if you clicked on the help tab at the top of a program. The book didn't help me in trying to learn Visual Foxpro. I needed a book that would explain the concepts of Object-Oriented-Programming and this book didn't do it for me.

If you already know Visual Foxpro then perhaps the information in this book might come in handy, otherwise don't waste your money.

I wish that I had known this before I spent my money on a used copy of this book. Hopefully my review will keep someone else from making the same mistake.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More than a reference book, November 24, 1999

By 

Kwok (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hacker's Guide to Visual FoxPro 6.0 (Paperback)

I like the way the authors write this book. Some readers may treat it as a reference book, but I would say it is more than that. before I had this book, I knew nothing about VFP. Using this book along my software development, I built a complicated database for a law firm. Even though I do not touch VFP anymore, I still love this book. It really helps me understand how VFP works. I wish other authors would write reference books like this. For those folks who want to be VFP developers, buy it!