CREATE FORM

Topic group Related topics

Opens the Form designer to create or modify a form.

Syntax

CREATE FORM
[<filename> | ? | <filename skeleton>]
[CUSTOM] | [WIZARD | EXPERT [PROMPT]]

<filename> | ? | <filename skeleton>

The form to create or modify. The default extension is .WFM. The ? and <filename skeleton> options display a dialog box from which you can select a file. If you specify a file without including its path, dBASE Plus looks for the file in the current directory. If you issue CREATE FORM without an option, dBASE Plus creates an untitled empty form.

CUSTOM

Invokes the Custom Form designer instead of the Form designer. The default extension is .CFM instead of .WFM.

WIZARD | EXPERT [PROMPT]

If the PROMPT clause is used, a dialog appears asking if you want to use the Form designer or the Form wizard. You can then invoke either the designer or the wizard. The WIZARD clause without PROMPT causes the Form wizard to be invoked. You may use the keyword EXPERT instead of WIZARD.

You cannot combine the CUSTOM and WIZARD options; there is no Custom Form wizard.

Description

Use CREATE FORM to open the Form designer or Form wizard and create or modify a form interactively. The Form designer automatically generates dBL program code that defines the contents and format of a form, and stores this code in an editable source code file with a .WFM extension. DO the .WFM file to run the form.

If you're creating a new form, CREATE FORM displays an empty design surface. If you specify an existing file, dBASE Plus asks whether you want to modify it. If you reply no, nothing further happens. Use the MODIFY FORM command to edit an existing file without being asked whether you want to modify it.

You may invoke the Custom Form designer by specifying the CUSTOM keyword. A custom form is stored in a .CFM file, and does not have the standard bootstrap code that instantiates and opens a form when the file is executed. It is intended to be used as a base class for other forms. A single .CFM file may contain more than one custom form class definition. If there is more than one form class in the .CFM file, dBASE Plus presents a list of classes to modify.

By default, the Form designer creates a class made up of the name of the file plus the word "Form". For example, when creating STUDENT.WFM, the form class is named StudentForm. The Custom Form designer uses the word "CForm" instead; for example, in SCHOOL.CFM, the form class is named SchoolCForm.

See Using the Form and Report designers (overview) for instructions on using the Form designer.