Setting Editor Options

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You can configure the Visual FoxPro editor to display text the way you want by setting the font and text alignment. You can also make the editor easier to use by setting your preferences for indentation, wordwrap, automatic backup copies, and other features.

To configure the editor, use the Edit Properties dialog box available from the Properties option of the Edit menu.

For details about editor settings, see Edit Properties Dialog Box.

To display the Edit Properties dialog box

  1. Open an editor window in one of these ways:

    • In the Project Manager, choose a program or text file and then choose New.
    • Enter MODIFY COMMAND Command, MODIFY FILE Command or MODIFY MEMO Command in the command window.
    • From the File menu choose New and then select Program or Text File, or choose Open and choose the name of a text or program file.
    • In the Form Designer, double-click a form or a control.

  2. Right-click anywhere in the editor window to display the shortcut menu, and then choose Properties.

    Tip   You can display the Font dialog box directly by right-clicking the edit window and then choosing Font from the shortcut menu.

By default, settings that you make in the Edit Properties dialog box apply only to the current edit window. For example, if you change the font, the font for all text in the current window is changed. If you open another edit window, or if you close the current file and then reopen it, the default settings apply.

If you prefer, you can save your settings permanently, or so that they apply to all files of a similar type. If you apply options to similar file types, Visual FoxPro uses the settings you make when you edit files with the same extension (for example, all .prg files, or all method codes in the Form Designer).

To save editor options permanently

  • In the Edit Properties window, select Save Preferences and then click OK.

To apply editor options to similar files

  • In the Edit Properties dialog box, select Use These Preferences As Default and then click OK.

You can also set the color and font that the editor uses to identify keywords, comments, and other elements of programs. For details, see Editor Tab, Options Dialog Box.

You can also use the Windows Registry Editor to establish the Visual FoxPro Editor comment string.

To register the Editor comment string

  1. In the Windows Registry Editor (RegEdit), under the HK_CURRENT_USER node, open the Visual FoxPro Options folder shown in Changing Configuration Settings in the Windows Registry.
  2. Right-click the folder and Choose New, and then String Value.
  3. Enter the name EditorCommentString for the name of the new string value.
  4. Right-click the string value, and choose Modify.
  5. Specify the editor comment string to replace the current value (*!* is the default value used when this registry entry doesn't exist in the Registry).

The Form menu will then be accessible from within the form code window. You will also be able to run a form with the CTRL+E keyboard shortcut, even from within a form code window.

See Also

Configuring Visual FoxPro Toolbars | Restoring the Visual FoxPro Interactive Environment | Customizing the Visual FoxPro Environment | Edit Properties Dialog Box | MODIFY COMMAND Command | MODIFY FILE Command | MODIFY MEMO Command | Editor Tab, Options Dialog Box | Changing Configuration Settings in the Windows Registry