FoxBin2Prg - Usage in command line style

Documentation of FoxBin2Prg - A Binary to Text converter for MS Visual Foxpro 9

Purpose of this document

This document shows how to run FoxBin2Prg from MS Windows Commandline, VFP's Command window or as SendTo.

The original document was created by Fernando D. Bozzo whom I like to thank for the great project.
Pictures are taken from the original project.
As far as possible these are the original documents. Changes are added where functionality is changed.

Run FoxBin2Prg

FoxBin2Prg might be used as an EXE either from Windows or VFP, or as as prg from inside VFP. Additional it might be integrated as an VFP Object using the Object version.
Since the EXE is basically the prg packed with some controling files, the way to call it ist mostly similar. The knowledge of differences in calling, DO .. WITH syntax separating parameters with "," and the DOS way off calling will be assumed. Do the similarity of the call, the prg version takes all parameters as strings too.

For settings and other related stuff see Internals.

Differences on excecution

EXE

The exe contains the most controling structures and the program itself. Alongside the FoxBin2Prg.exe must be _FileName_Caps.exe . It is recomended to have a general FoxBin2Prg.cfg configuration file in the folder with the EXE, but it will run without.

Remember, the Exe needs to be created first.

PRG

The prg is just the program and needs to find the controling structures. In particular:

FileName_Caps.exe
Props*.txt
FileName_Caps.exe
FoxBin2Prg.cfg is recomended

Note

All mentioned files need to be in the same folder. You can't use just the PRG without the rest of the mentioned files.

Parameters

FoxBin2Prg.EXE ...
could be used from VFP command line as
DO FoxBin2Prg.EXE WITH ...
or
DO FoxBin2Prg.prg WITH ...
or via RUN or more sophisticated ways.

Remember that using the prg style, parameters must be wrapped in string delimiters.

Note

Do to the compatibility with VSS the usage of cInputFile and cType is odd.

Important note:

When you process a directory, it is used as the base for the compilation of Binaries, and because of this, never process more than one directory in the same process, because the compilation may not be ok. To process more than one directory (or project), just select and process each one independently, in parallel if you like, but in different processes.

Usage

Usage 1

FoxBin2Prg.EXE cInputFile [,cType [,cTextName [,lGenText [,cDontShowErrors [,cDebug [,cDontShowProgress [,cOriginalFileName [,cRecompile [,cNoTimestamps [,cCFG_File [,cOutputFolder ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ]

Parameter	Value (Default)	Description
cInputFile	? / interactive	Call interactive list of parameters
	fullpath	Full name of the file to convert or directory name to process without any other parameter given, the extension (and the config) defines the operation
	FileName::ClassName	If option UseClassPerFile is 1 or 2, a class-file will be extracted from the lib
cType	empty	Fileextension of cInputFile defines operation
	BIN2PRG	cInputFile is processed for generating a Text representation.
	PRG2BIN	cInputFile is processed for generating the Binary file(s).
	INTERACTIVE	A confirmation dialog will be shown when processing a directory asking what to convert. This option overrides the BIN2PRG and PRG2BIN parameters. Can be used with or without PRG2BIN or BIN2PRG
	SHOWMSG	A status message will be shown on termination.
	*	If cInputFile is a project (pj[x2]) all files of the project, including the pjx, will be processed. The extension defines direction of operation.
	*-	If cInputFile is a project (pj[x2]) all files of the project, excluding the pjx, will be processed. The extension defines direction of operation.
	d, D, K, B, M, R, V	SCCAPI (SCCTEXT.PRG) compatibility mode, query the conversion support for the file type specified Types: d=DBC, D=DBF, K=Form, B=Label, M=Menu, R=Report, V=Class
cTextName	Text filename.	Only for SCCAPI (SCCTEXT.PRG) compatibility mode. File to use.
lGenText	.T., .F.	Only for SCCAPI (SCCTEXT.PRG) compatibility mode. .T.=Generates Text, .F.=Generates Binary. Note: cType have predominance over lGenText
cDontShowErrors	0, 1	'1' for NOT showing errors in MESSAGEBOX
cDebug	0, 1, 2	'0 'no debug, '1' for generating process LOGs, stop on errors, '2' like '1' and special log. This has precedence over any value in the config files.
cDontShowProgress	0, 1, 2	'0' show progress, '1' for not showing the process window, '2' Show only for multi-file processing
cOriginalFileName	text	used in those cases in which inputFile is a temporary filename and you want to generate the correct filename on the header of the Text version
cRecompile	0, 1	Indicates recompile ('1') the Binary once generated. True if called from SCCAPI (SCCTEXT.PRG) compatibility mode.
	path	The Binary is compiled from this path
cNoTimestamps	0, 1	Indicates if timestamp must be cleared ('1' or empty) or not ('0')
cCFG_File	filename	Indicates a special CFG filename for default values. Note, if the "regular" config files are used or not, is controlled by the setting AllowInheritance in this* file.
cOutputFolder	folder	Optional. A folder to write the output to. If not used, output be the source path.

Note #1

The BIN2PRG, PRG2BIN, INTERACTIVE, SHOWMSG cTypes might be mixed freely like:
PRG2BIN-INTERACTIVE
BIN2PRG-INTERACTIVE-SHOWMSG

Note #2

On any combination of (BIN2PRG, PRG2BIN, INTERACTIVE, SHOWMSG) separated by a "-", cType and cInputFile parameters can be swapped.
This is useful when used as EXE dealing with Windows shortcuts, on which fixed parameters must be in the shortcut.
The filename is an external variable parameter received when SendingTo FoxBin2Prg with right-click on File Manager.

Usage 2

FoxBin2Prg.EXE c|C|t [OutFileName [ cCFG_File[ cDebug]]]
DO FoxBin2Prg.EXE WITH -c|-C|-t [, OutFileName [, cCFG_File[, cDebug]]]

Parameter	Description
none	Call Info screen
-c (c)	creates a template config-file cOutputFile ( like FOXBIN2PRG.CFG )
-C (C)	creates a config-file cOutputFile ( like FOXBIN2PRG.CFG ) with the recent options used on the path of cOutputFile
	If cOutputFile is empty, a file FOXBIN2PRG._CFG will be created in default foder.
-t (t)	creates a template table-config-file cOutputFile ( like _TableName_.dbf.cfg )
cCFG_File	Indicates a special CFG filename for default values Note, if the "regular" config files are used orn not, is controlled by the setting AllowInheritance in this* file.
cDebug	'1' for generating process LOGs, stop on errors This has precedence over any value in the config files.

Usage 3

FOXBIN2PRG.EXE VERNO
DO FOXBIN2PRG.EXE WITH "VERNO"|cPara

Parameter	Description
-VERNO (VERNO)	Return version number of FoxBin2Prg
cPara	A parameter with the Value "VERNO", the version number is returned to this parameter

Note

From command line the call with paramters like -c, -C -t is not possible. Those parameters will be removed by VFP itself. Just call without the dash. Calling inside VFP with DO FoxBin2Prg.EXE works with this dashed parameters.

Return values

Return value via ErrorLevel is 0=OK, 1=Error.

Examples

Using the "EXE" version: (useful for calling from 3rd party programs)

command	description
`FOXBIN2PRG.EXE "<path>\file.scx"`	Generates the Text version
`FOXBIN2PRG.EXE "<path>\file.sc2"`	Generates the Binary version
`FOXBIN2PRG.EXE "<path>\proj.pjx" "*"`	Generates the Text files for all the files in the PJX, including the PJX
`FOXBIN2PRG.EXE "<path>\proj.pj2" "*"`	Generates the Binary files for all the files in the PJ2
`FOXBIN2PRG.EXE "<path>\proj.pjx" "*-"`	Generates the Text files for all the files in the PJX, excluding the PJX
`FOXBIN2PRG.EXE "<path>\file.vcx::cus_client"`	Generates only the Text version of the individual class cus_client of file.vcx (with UseClassPerFile:1 or 2)
`FOXBIN2PRG.EXE "<path>\proj.pj2" "*" \| find /V ""`	Generates the Binary files for all the files in the PJ2 and outputs to stdOut

Using the "PRG" version:

command	description
`DO FOXBIN2PRG.PRG WITH "<path>\file.scx"`	Generates the Text version
`DO FOXBIN2PRG.PRG WITH "<path>\file.sc2"`	Generates the Binary version
`DO FOXBIN2PRG.PRG WITH "<path>\proj.pjx", "*"`	Generates the Text files for all the files in the PJX, including the PJX
`DO FOXBIN2PRG.PRG WITH "<path>\proj.pj2", "*"`	Generates the Binary files for all the files in the PJ2
`DO FOXBIN2PRG.PRG WITH "<path>\proj.pjx", "*-"`	Generates the Text files for all the files in the PJX, excluding the PJX
`DO FOXBIN2PRG.PRG WITH "<path>\file.vcx::cus_client"`	Generates only the Text version of the individual class cus_client of file.vcx (with UseClassPerFile:1 or 2)
`DO FOXBIN2PRG.PRG WITH "<path>\file.cus_client.vc2"`	Generates only the Binary version of the individual class cus_client of file.vcx (with UseClassPerFile:1 and RedirectClassType:2)
`DO FOXBIN2PRG.PRG WITH "<path>\file.vc2::cus_client::import"`	Generates only the Binary version of the individual class cus_client of file.vcx (with UseClassPerFile:1)

Explorer SendTo

To use FoxBin2Prg from the File Explorer, you can create 3 shortcuts of FoxBin2Prg.exe and move them to "SendTo" folder on your Windows profile.
Hint: type shell:sendto in File Explorer's address bar and it will open send to folder, so you can "send" the selected file (pjx,pj2,etc) to the selected option, and make on-the-fly conversions, then rename and edit those shortcuts as this (make sure you can see system file extensions):

Name------------------------  Right-click/Properties/destination-----------
FoxBin2Prg - Binary2Text.lnk  <path>\foxbin2prg.exe "BIN2PRG-SHOWMSG"
FoxBin2Prg - Text2Binary.lnk  <path>\foxbin2prg.exe "PRG2BIN-SHOWMSG"
FoxBin2Prg.lnk                <path>\foxbin2prg.exe "INTERACTIVE-SHOWMSG"

This project is part of VFPX.

Last changed: 2023/11/26

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FoxBin2Prg_Run.md

FoxBin2Prg_Run.md

FoxBin2Prg - Usage in command line style

Purpose of this document

Table of contents

Run FoxBin2Prg

Differences on excecution

EXE

PRG

Note

Parameters

Note

Important note:

Usage

Usage 1

Note #1

Note #2

Usage 2

Usage 3

Note

Return values

Examples

Using the "EXE" version: (useful for calling from 3rd party programs)

Using the "PRG" version:

Explorer SendTo

Files

FoxBin2Prg_Run.md

Latest commit

History

FoxBin2Prg_Run.md

File metadata and controls

FoxBin2Prg - Usage in command line style

Purpose of this document

Table of contents

Run FoxBin2Prg

Differences on excecution

EXE

PRG

Note

Parameters

Note

Important note:

Usage

Usage 1

Note #1

Note #2

Usage 2

Usage 3

Note

Return values

Examples

Using the "EXE" version: (useful for calling from 3rd party programs)

Using the "PRG" version:

Explorer SendTo