BUILD

Creates a Windows executable file (.EXE) from your dBASE Plus object files and resources.

Syntax

BUILD FROM <project or response file name>

BUILD <filename>[, <filename> ...] /FROM <resp-filename>
    [ICON <filename>] [SPLASH <filename>] [TO <exe-filename>]
    [WEB] [INI [ON | OFF | ROAM]]
    [UAC] [ON | OFF]
    [RTEXE]
   [BDE OFF]

FROM <project or response file name>

Name of a dBASE Plus project or response file that contains the names of all object files and resources that are to be linked into your executable. If no extension is provided, .PRJ is assumed.

List of compiled program elements, separated by commas. If you provide a filename without an extension, .PRO (compiled program) is assumed.

ICON <icon filename>

Optional icon (.ICO) file used to identify your program in the Windows environment (e.g., when minimized or listed in the Windows Explorer or a program group).

SPLASH <bmp format filename>

Optional bitmap (.BMP) file that displays while your program loads.

TO <executable filename>

The name of the Windows executable file (.EXE) to create. If not specified, the base file name of the named project or response file (or the first file name in <filename list>) is used.

WEB

Specifies that an application will be used as a web application, rather than a desktop application.

When run, an application built using the WEB keyword will take advantage of optimizations built into PLUSrun.exe which allow it to load faster and use fewer resources than a non-WEB application. Please note that these optimizations restrict a web application from containing code to create, or use, visual components such as forms, buttons, toolbars, status bars, and other form components. Only non-visual objects such as sessions, data modules, queries, rowsets, non-visual objects and custom classes should be used.

In addition, when a web application .exe is run directly, rather than as a parameter to PLUSrun.exe, using the WEB parameter allows it to detect when it’s been prematurely terminated by a Web server (as happens when an application takes too long to respond). If a premature termination occurs, PLUSrun.exe also terminates to prevent it from becoming stranded in memory.

To determine if an application was built using the WEB parameter, see the _app object's web property. For additional information, see "Startup optimizations for Web applications" and "Change to command line for PLUSrun.exe".

INI

INI or INI ON - indicates that the application will create and use an ini file. This is the same as NOT specifying an INI clause at all.

If _app.useUACPaths is True,

- the .ini file will be located in the path contained in _app.currentUserPath.

If _app.useUACPaths is False,

- the .ini file will be located in the path contained in _app.exeName

INI ROAM - indicates that the application will create and use an ini file under the path in _app.roamingUsersPath instead of the _app.currentUserPath

Note that the location of an .ini file can be overridden via the -c command line switch which can be used to specify an alternate folder in which to locate the .ini file.

UAC

When UAC ON is specified the resulting .exe is built with an embedded default to set _app.UseUACPaths to True when the .exe is run.

This embedded UAC setting overrides the runtime engine default set via the registry key:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\dBASE\Plus\Series1\useUACPaths

However, the embedded setting can be overridden by:

1- setting a RuntimeApp specific registry setting in registry key:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\dBASE\Plus\RuntimeApps\<app file name>\useUACPaths
useUACPaths is a string value set to "Y" or "y" for 'True' and set to "N" or "n" for 'False'
(NOTE: the <app file name> is case sensitive so 'MyApp.exe' is NOT the same as 'myApp.exe')

2 - by using the -v command line switch:
-v1 sets UseUACPaths to true
-v0 sets UseUACPaths to false

When UAC OFF is specified the resulting .exe is built with an embedded default set _app.UseUACPaths to False when the .exe is run.

RTEXE

When RTEXE is included in the BUILD command the resulting .exe will be built with the Plusrun.exe built into the .exe. This will make the installation of the full runtime files unecessary when trying to run the .exe. However, you will still need to include one or all of the plusr_xx.dll files (found in the c:\program files (x86)\dbase\Plusx\runtime folder in your IDE installation of dBASE Plus.

NOTE: you must have plusr_en.dll included whether or not you are using another language dll.

BDE OFF

When BDE OFF is included in the BUILD command the resulting .exe will be build with an embedded setting which does NOT require the BDE to be installed in order to run the .exe.

This is an alternative to turning off the loading of the BDE via the following application ini file setting:

[DataEngine]
DefaultEngine=None

Description

Use the BUILD command to link compiled dBASE Plus program elements and supporting resources (such as bitmaps and icons) into a Windows executable (.EXE) file.

Though the new project file format is the default for build specifications, support for response (.RSP) files is offered for backward compatibility.

For Web based applications, it's important to use the WEB parameter. When a server terminates an application, the WEB parameter enables dBASE Plus to simultaneously terminate it's runtime.

Code Signing

dBASE application .exe's (beginning with version 2.61.4) are built to support being code signed.

Backward Compatibility:

dBASE application .exe's built with dBASE Plus Version 10 or later are not backward compatible with older runtime engines. They must be run with a runtime engine of the same or newer version.