Xbasic

Desktop API

Description

Functions and Objects that apply to desktop application written using Alpha Anywhere. Some functions and objects can be used in web and mobile applications, as well.

Name: Description
Layout Objects and Functions: Objects and functions for manipulating various layouts in Desktop applications.
Miscellaneous Functions: Miscellaneous functions.
Popup Methods: Methods available for a POPUP object.
Project Functions: Objects and functions for interacting with the Alpha Anywhere desktop project.
System Functions: Functions for working with system services, such as the clipboard, console, help, menus, toolbars, and more.
Toolbar Functions: Xbasic functions for working with toolbars in a desktop application.
User Interaction (UI) Functions: Alpha Anywhere provides the following functions for enhancing user interfaces.

Most objects in Alpha Anywhere have a collection of methods that let you manipulate the object, or find out information about that object. For example, a form has a <FORM>.NEW_RECORD() method that adds a new record to the form.

Xbasic allows you to call the methods of an object. For example, assume you have a form called "Customer". To add a new record to this form, you would use this Xbasic statement:

:Customer.new_record()

In general, the syntax for calling a method of an object is:

object address.method()

The following Xbasic statements show examples of a method that finds out information about an object and other methods that manipulate an object.

dim tbl as P
tbl = table.open("customer") 'open the customer table and create a table object called "tbl"
number_of_fields = tbl.fields_get()'the fields_get() method returns information about the tbl object
tbl.enter_begin()  'the enter_begin() method manipulates the tbl object by entering a new record.
tbl.customer = "Alpha Software"
tbl.enter_end(.T.)

Alpha Anywhere has a large number of methods. The section Methods for Working with Forms and Browses describes the methods that can be used to manipulate browse windows, form windows and the objects inside a form window.

Report Functions and Report Methods describe the methods that can be used for printing and previewing layouts.

There are a large number of methods for working "behind the scenes" on DBF tables.