The SetTarget method returns a numeric value.
This is the most common use case. It creates a standard PDF file.
LOCAL loXFRX, lnRetVal
* 1. Initialize
loXFRX = XFRX("XFRX#Init")
* 2. Set Output
* Arguments: Output Type, Filename
lnRetVal = loXFRX.SetTarget("PDF", "c:\temp\myreport.pdf")
IF lnRetVal = 0
* 3. Run the report
* Arguments: Report File, Report Target
loXFRX.processReport("myreport.frx", "")
* 4. Finalize the document (Critical for PDFs)
loXFRX.finalize()
MESSAGEBOX("PDF Created Successfully!")
ELSE
MESSAGEBOX("Error initializing XFRX.")
ENDIF
XFRX is not a “set it and forget it” library. It is a deep, rich reporting framework. The developers who succeed with XFRX are those who read the documentation — not just once, but as a living reference.
Invest two hours walking through the CHM file’s “Tutorial” and “Listener Properties” sections. Print the “Frequently Asked Issues” page. Bookmark the “Method Reference”.
When you face an obscure bug — misplaced watermarks, broken hyperlinks, missing Excel sheets — remember: the answer is almost certainly in the XFRX documentation.
Your code will be cleaner. Your support calls will drop. And your VFP reports will output like a modern enterprise system — thanks to the humble, powerful, indispensable manual.
Further Reading:
Have a specific XFRX documentation question not covered here? Consult your local CHM file first — it has never lied to you. xfrx documentation
XFRX is a third-party tool for Visual FoxPro (VFP) designed to transform VFP reports into various electronic formats without requiring printer drivers. It supports versions from VFP 5.0 to 9.0 and is royalty-free once incorporated into an application. Core Documentation Resources
Official Developer's Guide: The primary resource for technical implementation, covering installation, architecture, and output types.
Confluence Documentation Space: Hosted by Eqeus, this contains the most recent XFRX Documentation, including FAQs, a known bugs list, and experimental features.
Release Notes: Detailed updates on new versions (e.g., v24.2, v24.0) covering features like digital signatures in PDF, unicode support, and VFP 9.0 SP2 compatibility. Key Features & Capabilities
Extensive Export Formats: Converts reports to PDF, DOC/DOCX, RTF, XLS/XLSX, HTML, MHT, TXT, ODT/ODS (OpenOffice), and various image formats (BMP, PNG, JPEG, GIF, TIFF).
Advanced Previewer: Features localizable tools with search, hyperlinks, drill-down capabilities, and tabbed interfaces for multi-document viewing.
Report Directives: Allows users to add bookmarks and hyperlinks directly into documents by using directives in report object comments. The SetTarget method returns a numeric value
Security & Customization: Supports Digital Signatures in PDF documents (requires .NET 2.0+) and allows for Zipping generated files or creating documents from scratch via VFP code. Common Implementation Tasks XFRX Documentation - Confluence
Based on the XFRX documentation , a standout feature you could implement is Conditional Data Export to XLSX/ODS with Formula Support
While XFRX already supports basic data exporting, a high-value implementation of this feature would include: Dynamic Formatting:
Automatically apply styles (like colors or text trimming) based on record values during the export process. Formula Injection: XFRX_CopyToXLSX
method to embed live Excel formulas into cells rather than just static values. Large Dataset Handling:
Leverage XFRX’s ability to bypass the standard 65K record limit, allowing up to 1,048,576 rows per sheet across multiple tabs for files up to 2GB. Drilldown Functionality:
Integrate custom event hyperlinks in the previewer that allow users to click a report element to trigger a specific data action or filtered view. Feature Implementation Example: "Smart Excel Archiver" This feature would combine PDF encryption XLSX data export to create a secure, interactive financial package: Generate a PDF Summary: Create a high-fidelity PDF with digital signatures and full justification. Attach Raw Data: XFRX is not a “set it and forget it” library
Embed an XLSX file containing the raw data used for the report, including conditional formatting for "at-a-glance" analysis by the recipient. code snippet for setting up a basic XLSX export with these enhancements? XFRX Documentation - Confluence
If you produce invoices or contracts, study this section:
The documentation includes a compliance matrix showing which PDF features (annotations, bookmarks, attachments) are supported in which XFRX version.
You can append multiple VFP reports into a single PDF file using the NOPAGEEJECT equivalent logic in XFRX.
loXFRX = XFRX("XFRX#Init")
loXFRX.SetTarget("PDF", "c:\temp\combined.pdf")
* Run first report
loXFRX.processReport("header.frx", "")
* Run second report (appends to same PDF)
loXFRX.processReport("details.frx", "")
* Finalize creates the single file with both reports
loXFRX.finalize()
No library survives without breaking changes. XFRX's maintainers wrote migration guides that read like careful apologies. Each breaking change had a rationale, a minimal diff, and a script to transform configuration. The "v1 → v2" guide explained how policies were promoted from code hooks into first-class config objects, and provided an automated migrator with rollbacks.
Use the processReport method to run a standard VFP report form.