Excellent question.
Yes, you can call Foxfire! in two ways:
1. from within your app, and pass it a parameter list that includes the Request name. FF will run that report and return to your calling app at the point where you called it. You can do this with any number of standalone reports, or with a list of several reports.
2. by creating a standalone executable, you can call it from within your app or directly from the Windows desktop.
The details for doing any of the above are documented in the Developer Help file. To open the Developer help file, click on the "ffdvhelp.chm" file in the main Foxfire! folder (the main folder usually is named ff80, but you may have changed it when you installed it. If so, use the name you assigned).
You can also get into the Developer help file is to open the System Administrator Tools menu and then press F1 or choose Help from the System menu. You can also do this from any individual tools under the System Administrator tools menu. Right now, the Help option of the Foxfire! System menu says Microsoft Visual FoxPro Help, but that's minor bug. It's really the Foxfire! Developer Help.
In the Developer Help file, you will find a complete description within the section called "How Do I Get Foxfire! Out to my Users?", under the sub-section called "Different ways to use Foxfire!"
Sounds good, that all works well. I have another integration question. In certain instances, my app gathers the ask at runtime parameters, and in version 3.0+, I was able to run a Foxfire! report without the user being prompted for values as follows:
* start setting up the ffire batch fileUSE op_batch IN 0 ALIAS ff_batchSELECT ff_batch
* Now set up the record with the specifics for how this report will runREPLACE REQUEST WITH CCustomreportREPLACE config WITH "eaconfig.prg"REPLACE prefset WITH "Flight Ops Data"
* and fill in the other run-time values so the user won't be promtedDIMENSION AskValues(2)
* the trip numberAskValues(1) = THISFORM.lcTripNoAskValues(2) = THISFORM.Combo1.DISPLAYVALUE
* the customerAskValues(2) = THISFORM.Combo1.VALUE
* save it to the batch recordSAVE TO MEMO AskatRun ALL LIKE ASK*
* run foxfire!DO ("foxfire")
I have not noticed a counterpart to ff_batch in version 8. Is it still possible to run a report in such a manner?