Library wwUtils

wwUtils is actually a UDF function library, not a class. This class provides lots of utility functions frequently used in the Web Connection framework and in typical applications. I use this library in every app I build.

Note this is a function library rather than a class, so there's no object to create first. Just SET PROCEDURE and call the functions.

Class Members

Member		Description
	AParseString	Parses a delimited string into an array by passing a delimiter to be used to split the string. AParseString(@laResult, lcString, lcDelimiter)
	AppendToFile	Appends a raw string to the end of a file. The string is written as is without a linefeed. This function uses low level file functions to attempt to write to the output file. The operation is very… o.AppendToFile(lcOutput,lcFileName)
	ArrayToCollection	Convert a FoxPro array to a Collection. Useful in scenarios where you need to return a 'collection' result but you only have access to an array. Arrays can't be passed from methods and don't pass… o.ArrayToCollection(@laArray,lnMode)
	CacheFile	This method works like FILETOSTR() or FILE2VAR() to return the content of a file. The first time the file is read it's read from disk and then cached in a cursor. Subsequent requests for the same… CacheFile(lcFileName,lnRefreshSeconds)
	CharToBin	Converts a DWORD value in binary string form back into a numeric value. CharToBin(tcWord)
	CollectionToArray	Converts a collection to an array. ```foxpro loCol = CREATEOBJECT("Collection") FOR lnX =1 TO 100 loCol.Add(TRANSFORM(lnX)) ENDFOR DIMENSION laItems[1] lnCount = CollectionToArray(@laItems,… o.CollectionToArray(@laItems, loCollection)
	CollectionToCursor	Updates a cursor from a collection by doing GATHER NAME MEMO for each member. An optional search expression can be provided for each item to allow updating existing records. > It's important to note… CollectionToCursor(loCollection, lcAlias, lcSearchExpression)
	ContentTypeFromExtension	Returns a content type for a given extension. For example, PDF returns applications/pdf, DOC returns application/ms-word etc. Values are taken from the local registry and any unknown types or types… ContentTypeFromExtension(lcExtension)
	CopyObject	Creates a copy of an object by creating a brand new object and copying all properties including all nested objects from scratch. This function creates a brand new object that has no reference… CopyObject(loInput)
	CopyObjectProperties	This function copies properties between two objects in a flat manner. Child objects or arrays are copied as object references and not copied. If you have multiple level objects you can explicitly… CopyObjectProperties(loSource,loTarget, lnObjectStructureObject, llDontParseObjects, lcPropertyExclusionList)
	CopyTree	Copies a directory tree including subdirectories from one location to another. o.CopyTree(lcSourceFilePath, lcTargetPath)
	CursorToCollection	Easily creates a Collection from a FoxPro cursor. Creates either a FoxPro Collection or a [wwCollection instance](vfps://Topic/_1O11ESK6R). CursorToCollection(lcAlias,lnMode)
	CursorToObjectArray	Creates an array of objects of the currently open cursor. The result is an object that has two properties the count and the array of objects that contain the records. The object has properties for… CursorToObjectArray()
	DCOMCnfgServer	Configures security rights for a Local Server (EXE server) COM object. Provides similar functionality that DCOMCNFG provides for setting the Impersonation Level of a component. Be sure to also set… o.DCOMCnfgServer(lcProgId, lcRunAs, lcPassword)
	DCOMLaunchPermissions	Sets the Launch and Access permissions of a DCOM server. o.DCOMLaunchPermissions(lcProgid,lcusername)
	DecodeHtml	Decodes an Html encoded string removing basic HTML entities. Note that this method only translates quotes, ampersands and angle brackets ("&) o.DecodeHtml(lcEncodedHtml)
	DeleteFiles	Deletes files given a wildcard path spec (ie. `c:\temp\.tmp`) and a timeout or expiration value. This function is useful for quick clean up of temporary files created for Web display. o.DeleteFiles(lcFileSpec, lnTimeout)*
	DeleteTree	Deletes files based on a path and file spec, recursively down the folder hiearchy. Optionally also allows removal of empty folders effectively deleting entire folder hiearchy. o.wwUtils.DeleteTree(lcSourcePath, lcFileSpec, llDontRemoveEmptyFolders)
	DetokenizeString	Detokenizes a string tokenized with [TokenizeString()](VFPS://Topic/wwUtils%3A%3ATokenizeString) by replacing embedded token placeholders with token strings stored in a collection. o.DetokenizeString(lcString,loTokens,lcDelimiter)
	DisplayMemo	This method formats a memo field for minimal HTML presentation by simply converting multiple linebreaks to `` paragraph tags and linebreaks to ` ` breaks. This behavior is similar to… o.DisplayMemo(lcText)
	EncodeHtml	This method fixes up HTML for display. Takes HTML and XML tags and converts them to HTML displayable characters (< for "&). This method should be used to make HTML safe for display in… o.EncodeHtml(lcHTML)
	EndsWith	Checks to see if a given string ends with a given substring. EndsWith(lcSourceString,lcCompare,llCaseInsensitive)
	ExecuteCommandLine	Executes a complete operating system command line with command arguments, using `ShellExecute()` command line resolution, but lets you express the command as a single command line that is the same as… o.ExecuteCommandLine(lcCommandLine, lcFolder)
	Extract	Extracts a text value between two delimiters. You can specify two ending delimiters or let the end of a line be considered an ending delimiter. You can also optionally retrieve the string with its… o.Extract(lcString,lcStartDelim,lcEndDelim1, lcEndDelim2, llEndOk, llIncludeDelims)
	File2Var	Function to read and write files to and from disk. Similar to `FILETOSTR()` and `STRTOFILE()` but it has additional features useful in busy server applications and certain application… o.File2Var(tcFileName, tcString, tlSharedWriteMode, tlWriteAsUtf8)
	FileAttributes	Returns the file attributes of a given file. The list of attributes is returned as a single string that contains all the attributes that apply. For example to check for Read Only flag you might… o.FileAttributes(lcFilename)
	FileSize	Returns the size of a file on disk. FileSize(lcFileName)
	FileTime	Returns the file's last udpate DateTime value. FileTime(lcFileName)
	FixComErrorMessage	Fixes up a COM Error message by stripping off the OLE Dispatch error message in the front of the string if it's present. Turns: ```text OLE IDispatch exception code 0 from wwDotNetBridge: Invalid… o.FixComErrorMessage(lcErrorMsg)
	FixPreTags	Fixes blocks in HTML pages so that they display properly and can be cut and pasted as code. Replaces and tags with real carriage returns. o.FixPreTags(lcHTML)
	FlattenSql	Flatten a SQL command that contains CHR(13) or CHR(10) characters into a single line by stripping out the CR/LF values and replacing them with a space. Useful in code so you can write SQL… o.wwUtils.FlattenSql(lcSql)
	ForceTableRefresh	Refreshes a table's read buffers, by explicitly moving the record pointer. This causes VFP to re-read buffers from disk, to ensure data is not coming from the data refresh cache in VFP. Use this… o.ForceTableRefresh(lcAlias)
	FormatValue	Uses the .NET `ToString()` formatting engine to format values to string. It'll use the current locale to display the values in the correct number and date formatting formats (ie. decimal separators,… o.FormatValue(lvValue,lcFormatString)
	FormatString	Uses the .NET `string.Format()` function to format text strings using .NET based string formatting logic. This provides sophisticated string embedding similar to TextMerge without the overhead of… o.FormatString(lcFormat,lvVal1...lvVal10)
	FromIsoDateString	Converts a date in ISO 8601 format to a FoxPro date or time (if time values are specified). Input date format is 2012-10-08 which is used in HTML5 input type=date controls. The date is exported… o.FromIsoDateString(lcDate)
	GetAppStartPath	Returns the FoxPro start path of the APPLICATION under all startmodes supported by VFP. Returns the path of the starting EXE, DLL, APP, PRG/FXP. o.GetAppStartPath()
	GetAttribute	Retrieves the content of an attribute in an XML or HTML element. ```foxpro * images/image.png lcUrl = GetAttribute("") ``` o.GetAttribute(lcElementXml,lcAttribute)
	GetDirectoryName	Returns just the path portion of a given file. Unlike `JUSTPATH()` this method preserves the casing of the path. GetDirectoryName(lcFilePath)
	GetFilename	Returns just the file name of a path. Unlike `JUSTFNAME()` this method leaves the case of the file intact. GetFilename(lcFilePath)
	GetFullPath	Resolves a relative path to a full path but also matches the proper case of the file on disk if it exists. Essentially does what `FULLPATH()` does, plus casing the file as it is on disk if it… GetFullPath(lcFile)
	GetPassword	Pops up a VFP Form Inputbox asking for a password. The password is hidden with a password mask. o.GetPassword()
	GetRegExObject	Creates an instance of the VBScript.RegExp object and caches this instance in a PUBLIC variable reference. If already loaded the existing instance is returned. GetRegExObject()
	GetRelativePath	Returns a relative path (`..\file.txt` or `SubFolder\file.txt`) from a full path relative to a given base path. Similar to `Sys(2014)` (Minimum Path), but this function preserves path case if the… o.GetRelativePath(lcFolder,lcBasePath)*
	GetUniqueId	Creates a unique ID based off of a partial GUID string. Result string can be between 15 and 32 characters with 32 characters representing an entire GUID (guaranteed unique across all devices). o.GetUniqueId(lnSize)
	GetURLEncodedKey	Retrieves a 'parameter' from a URL Encoded string such as a QueryString or POST buffer. To use this function pass the full buffer and a key name to retrieve. o.GetURLEncodedKey(tcURLString, lcKey)
	GetUrlEncodedValues	Returns a `wwNameValueCollection` of all keys and values contained in a UrlEncoded string of key values. You can pass an optional prefix that determines the first characters of the keys that are… o.GetUrlEncodedValues(lcVars,lcPrefix)
	GetWords	Takes an input string and breaks it out into a collection of words separated by spaces or line breaks. o.GetWords(lcText)
	GoUrl	ShellExecute wrapper that starts any associated program or URL. You can launch URLs, mailto: links, as well as any file like .txt, doc,.ini etc. If an association exists GoUrl() will launch the… o.GoUrl(tcUrl, tcAction)
	GravatarLink	Creates a Gravatar link based on an email address. ![](IMAGES%2Fmisc%2FGravatarImage.png) Gravatar is a Web Service where users can register their email address and associate it with an avatar… o.GravatarLink(lcEmail,lnSize,lcDefaultUrl,lcRating)
	Href	Creates an HTML anchor tag like `` as a string. o.wwUtils.Href(lcLink, lcText, lcAttributes)
	HTMLColor	Converts an RGB color value to an HTML color value. o.HTMLColor(lnRGBColor)
	HumanizedDate	Displays a date in colloquial English text like `just now`, `10 minutes ago`, `2 weeks ago` or `3 months ago` etc. o.HumanizedDate(ltDate)
	InputForm	Creates a simple VFP form input box. Unlike VFP 7's native INPUTBOX this input box works with any type of value and supports format options as well as password character support. o.InputForm(lcValue,lcMessage,lcCaption,lnFormWidth, lnFieldWidth,lcFormat,lcCancelValue)
	IsAdmin	Determines if the current user is running in a Windows Administrative context. o.wwUtils.IsAdmin()
	IsCOMObject	Checks to see if a COM object exists in the registry. o.IsCOMObject(lcProgId, @lcClassId, @lcClassDescript)
	IsDir	Checks to see if a directory exists. Unlike Directory() this method works on Windows 2000. o.IsDir(lcPath)
	IsDotNet	Returns whether .Net is installed. Also can return the latest installed version and directory of the .Net framework. o.IsDotNet(@lcVersion,@lcPath)
	IsDotnetCore	Determines if .NET Core Runtime is installed and gives the latest version that's available. o.IsDotnetCore("@lcFrameworkPath, @lcVersion)
	IsNullOrEmpty	Determines whether a value is NULL or empty. The empty check only checks basic types (strings, number, dates logicals), not objects or arrays. IsNullOrEmpty(lvValue)
	IsNumber	Determines whether the value is either a numeric number, or a text based string that only contains numbers and decimal and thousands separators. o.IsNumber(lvNumber)
	IsWinnt	Checks to see if app is running under Windows NT. o.IsWinnt(llReturnVersionNumber)
	JoinString	Joins a collection of strings back into a single string. o.wwUtils.JoinString(loStringCol)
	JsonDate	Creates an ISO 8601 JSON compatible date string including quotes. Produces a date in the following format: "2014-12-19T04:25:33Z" JsonDate(ldDateTime, llAssumeUtcDate)
	JsonString	Creates a JSON encoded string from a FoxPro string including the wrapping quotes. A common use case is to embed JSON variables into HTML documents: ```html model = { openCommentBox: , appName:… o.wwUtils.JsonString(lcString)
	JsonBool	Returns `true` or `false` for a boolean value. Very simple but a nice way in script pages to be explicit about what the value represents. A common use case is to embed JSON variables into HTML… o.JsonBool(llValue)
	LaunchVsWebServer	Can be used to launch the Visual Studio Web Server (webserver.webdev.exe in the .NET 2.0 Framework dir) or the Web Connection Cassini Web Server for use with the Web Connection Managed module.… o.LaunchVsWebServer(lcPhysical,lnPort,lcVirtual,lnType)
	LogString	Appends a log string to the end of a file. The line is written with a timestamp and a CRLF at the end of the line. This function uses low level file functions to attempt to write to the output file.… LogString(lcOutput,lcFileName)
	LongPath	Returns a properly upper and lower cased operating system file name from a full or relative filename or path. Returns files and paths in proper case and converts short filenames to long. LongPath(lcFileName, llCheckFileExists)
	MailLink	Creates an email link on a Web page that is not easily harvested by breaking up the Url. ```html ``` This generates a block of JavaScript that looks like this: ```html Rick Strahl function… o.MailLink(lcEmail,lcText,lcSubject,lcMessage)
	MergeText	This function provides an evaluation engine for FoxPro expressions and code blocks in a template/script page. Default syntax format uses ASP style tags (), but can work with any set of… o.MergeText(tcString,tcDelimiter, tcDelimiter2, llNoASPSyntax)
	MergeTextFromFile	Like [MergeText](vfps://Topic/_S8X02FE4U) except the content is loaded from a file. o.wwUtils.MergeTextFromFile(tcFile, tlCacheTemplate, tcDelimiter,tcDelimiter2,llNoAspSyntax)
	MimeDateTime	Converts DateTime values to Mime strings or Mime Date strings to DateTime values. MimeDateTime(lvDateTime)
	NoEmptyDate	Returns a fixed date time value from an empty FoxPro date. This function is useful when passing FoxPro dates to other applications/servers that don't support empty dates, such as .NET datasets, or… o.NoEmptyDate(ltDateTime,ltEmptyDateValue)
	OpenFileDialog	Open file dialog that prompts for a file name. Unlike `GetFile()` this function returns the file name and path in proper case and uses the latest Windows dialogs. OpenFileDialog(lcFolder, lcCaption, lcTitle, lcExtensions, llCheckIfFileExists)
	OpenExclusive	Opens a table exclusively if possible. o.OpenExclusive(lcTable, lcAlias)
	Path	Adds or deletes items from the Visual FoxPro path string. o.Path(pcPath,pcMethod)
	PropertyDump	Dumps all of an objects properties to a string separated by Carriage Returns. Note Long strings will be truncated at 80 characters. This is meant as a debugging function to quickly see what an… o.PropertyDump(loObject)
	RegisterDotNetComponent	Registers a .NET Component for COM operation by calling regasm /codebase. .NET Components require a special COM registration mechanism beyond regsvr32 as they require to register to .NET framework… o.RegisterDotNetComponent(lcDotNetDLL, lcProgId,@lcError)
	RegisterOleServer	Registers an OLE server or OCX control o.RegisterOleServer(lcServerPath, llUnRegister, llSilent)
	RemoveUrlEncodedKey	Removes a single key from a URL encoded string such a query string or form variable collection. Useful for manipulating URLs and removing certain values from the query string. For example this… o.RemoveUrlEncodedKey(lcQuery,lcKey)
	RenderAspScript	Allows quick rendering of an ASP style script page that contains embedded tags for FoxPro script expressions and code blocks. Runs as a full FoxPro program. Unlike… o.RenderAspScript(lcTemplate,lnMode,llIsString,llUseHttpResponse)
	ReplaceText	This function is a combination of STREXTRACT() and STRTRAN() that allows you to search for a string between a pair of delimiters and then replace that string with another value. Replaces the text… ReplaceText(lcSource,lcStart,lcEnd,lcReplace)
	ReplaceTextAndDelimiters	This function is a combination of STREXTRACT() and STRTRAN() that allows you to search for a string between a pair of delimiters and then replace that string with another value. Replaces the full… ReplaceTextAndDelimiters(lcSource,lcStart,lcEnd,lcReplace,llAll)
	SafeCommand	Evaluates a single FoxPro command dynamically and wraps it into a TRY/CATCH block. Uses a macro (&) operation to execute the command so anything you can do with & operation is valid with the… o.SafeCommand(lcVfpCommand,lcErrorDisplay)
	SafeEval	Evaluates a FoxPro expression without blowing up by wrapping the EVALUATE() operation into an internal TRY/CATCH block. o.SafeEval(lcEvalString,lvErrorResult)
	SanitizeHtml	A rudimentary HTML Sanitizer that removes scriptable content from HTML. You can use this to clean up user captured HTML and rendered Markdown to avoid XSS attacks. o.wwUtils.SanitizeHtml(lcHtml,lcHtmlTagBlacklist)
	SaveFileDialog	Displays a Save File Dialog that can be used to prompt for files to save. Unlike `PUTFILE()` this function returns the filename and path in proper case of the file name selected. SaveFileDialog(lcFolder,lcTitle, lcDefaultExt,lcExtensions, llPromptForOverwrite)
	SetAcl	Sets the Access Control List on a file resource by running the CACLS utility. Access can be set for both files and directories and can be set for inheritable rights. You can assign either individual… SetAcl(lcPath,lcAccount,lcAccess,llInherit,llReplace)
	SetUrlEncodedKey	Adds or updates a query string value for a given key with the provided value. Useful if you need to inject additional keys into an existing query string or HTML form data. o.SetUrlEncodedKey(lcQuery, lcKey, lcValue)
	ShellExecute	`ShellExecute()` is an API wrapper around the Windows API with the same name. Using `ShellExecute()` you can: * Open Web URLs * Open files by filename in their associated application * Open local… o.ShellExecute(tcUrl, tcAction, tcDirectory, tcParameters)
	ShortDate	Creates a short date in the format of: Oct. 8 or Jun. 10. You can optionally pass the lnMode parameter to specify alternate display modes. The date and time format depends on the time format of the… o.ShortDate(ltTime,lnMode)
	ShortPath	Converts a Long Windows filename into a short 8.3 compliant path/filename. Use API so this is a valid 8.3 safe file path as recorded by the Operating System. > #### @icon-warning Non-existing Files… o.ShortPath(lcPath)
	ShortTime	Retuns a short time string that shows like 07:52am. o.ShortTime(ltTime)
	ShowHTML	Displays an HTML string in the browser for quick viewing. o.ShowHTML(lcHTML, lcFile, loWebBrowser)
	ShowText	Shows a text string and displays it in Notepad (or other configured editor) o.ShowText(lcHTML, lcFile, loWebBrowser)
	ShowXML	Displays an XML string in a Web browser for quick viewing. o.ShowXML(lcXML, lcFile, loWebBrowser)
	SplitString	Splits a string on CR and LF breaks and a particular width and returns a collection. This function uses ALINES[] to split breaks, and then falls back to MEMLINES() for lines longer than the… o.SplitString(lcString,lnLineLen,lnFlags,lcParseChar)
	SplitStringBySize	Splits a string into a collection of strings based on a specified size. Used internally to split up strings greater than 16mb into smaller chunks that can be concatenated seperately. The following… o.wwUtils.SplitStringBySize(lcText, lnSize)
	StartsWith	Checks to see if a base string starts with another string's characters. Useful for forced EXACT comparisons in scenarios when SET EXACT ON. StartsWith(lcSourceString,lcCompare,llCaseInsensitive)
	StringFormat	Function that replaces a format string with placeholder values passed as parameters using C-Style Format strings. This function is useful for quick embedding of strings that is more compact and… o.StringFormat
	StripHTML	Removes HTML tags from the passed text and converts it to plain text. Note formatting is totally removed! o.StripHTML(lcHTMLText, lcLTag, lcRTag)
	StripUtf8Bom	Removes a UTF-8 BOM marker from a UTF-8 encoded file. o.StripUtf8Bom(lcFile)
	TimeToCStrict	Creates a VFP strict date string that can be used in literal SQL strings. Simplifies creating dynamic SQL statements that are date safe. Optional pass the llSQL flag as .T. to have a SQL Server… o.TimeToCStrict(ltTime, llSQL)
	ToIsoDateString	Converts a FoxPro date or date time or string value to ISO 8601 format: 2012-10-08 or 2014-10-01T16:55:12Z. Dates can be created with or without UTC time offsets. This function is useful for… ToIsoDateString(ldDate, llIncludeTime, llNoUtc)
	TokenizeString	String tokenizing function that extracts and replaces tokens found by extracting value between a start and end delimiter. The extracted values are returned in a sequential collection. If the source… o.TokenizeString(@lcSource,lcStart,lcEnd,lcDelimiter)
	TrimWhiteSpace	Trims whitespace of the end of a string using a pre-set of characters that you optionally provide. By default CHR(13), CHR(10), Spaces and Tabs are cleared. o.TrimWhiteSpace(lcString,lcStripChars)
	URLDecode	URLDecodes a URLEncoded text string to normal text. o.URLDecode(lcText)
	URLEncode	Encodes a string in URL encoded format for use on URL strings or when creating a POST buffer. o.URLEncode(tcValue)
	WrCursor	Creates a Writable cursor from a SELECTed cursor by creating a copy with a new name. o.WrCursor(pcNewName)

Assembly: wwUtils.prg