Database development and training for Birmingham and the midlands
Specialists in Microsoft Access and Visual Foxpro database training and development
I am happy to hear from existing clients but I am taking no new calls.
March 2015
I have now retired and am taking on no new work. I'd like to thank all our customers over the past 20 years. It really has been a most enjoyable time.
ZDEF and ZLOC
These two features were introduced into the editor of VFP 8. One gives you a list of the constants that have been defined, the other gives a list of local variables. Both work in an unusual way.
ZDEF
If you type zdef into the VFP editor then it at first appears as though you are heading for a syntax error
![[ZDEF before the constants appear]](../images/zdef1.gif "Using ZDEF in the FoxPro editor to show a list of defined constants")
but as soon as you add a space, a list of the currently-defined constants appears:
![[ZDEF after the list of constants have appeared]](../images/zdef2.gif "Using ZDEF in the FoxPro editor to show a list of defined constants")
Better still, the list also shows the current value of the constants.
ZLOC
This works in a very similar way. Type zloc followed by a space into the VFP editor and you'll see a list of local variables.
How is it done?
The strange behaviour of these two features is explained by the fact that both are Intellisense scripts. If you open the FoxCode table then you'll find both these scripts towards the bottom of the table.
Note that there's a warning in the FoxCode table that the AllowCustomDefScripts property must be set .T. in the IntelliSense Manager.
