Visual dBASE Version 5.6 Update - Preview Release

This file, a supplement to your existing Visual dBASE 5.5
README.TXT file, contains important, late-breaking
information about the Visual dBASE 5.6 preview release.
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INSTALLING THIS PATCH
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This preview release update patch works only on an existing 
installation of Visual dBASE 5.5.
Visual dBASE must be closed in order for the patch to work.
To install, double-click on this window to activate the play
button above. Then click the play button and each file will
be updated in turn. A smiling face indicates a successfulupdate.
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USING dBASE NEWSGROUPS FOR FEEDBACK
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Please direct all questions, comments and other feedback to
the Visual dBASE newsgroups.
To access the newsgroups, set your news reader software to
point to the server forums.borland.com.
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NEW FEATURES AND FUNCTIONALITY
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* Added SET EPOCH command. See the Language Reference
  addendum at the end of this file.
* Added a Key event to the Combobox class that works like
  the Key event for the Entryfield class.
* Added a new AutoDrop property to the Combobox class. If
  .T., the drop-down list will drop automatically when the  
  combobox gets focus.
* Added a new ScaleFontBold property to the Form class to
  improve dynamic rescaling.
* Added a new AutoCenter property to the Form class. If .T.,
  the form will automatically center:     
  - inside the MDI frame if MDI is .T.
  - on-screen if MDI is .F.  whenever the form is opened.
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ADDRESSED IN THIS UPDATE
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This release fixes problems or limitations in previous
versions in the following product areas:DATA UPDATING AND INTEGRITY
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* FLUSH now works.
* If the Value property of a Editor or Checkbox control is
  changed programmatically, the new value is retained and
  may subsequently be saved.
* A record lock occurs in an Editor object the first time
  you press any non-navigational key (any key that actually
  changes the text contents). Among other things, the
  record-locking action ultimately prevents data loss in  the object.
* Automatic record locking (e.g., the first character typed
  in a DataLinked control) now follows the semantics of
  RLOCK(); unrelated workareas associated with other
  controls on the form are no longer locked.
* BeginAppend(), with RefreshAlways false, now causes
  controls to be updated when a Set Relation is in effect.
* Closing a ReadModal() form no longer commits pending data
  in the active record buffer.
* The visible set of records determined by SET KEY is no
  longer expanded to include a record not included in the
  SET KEY list after an AbandonRecord().
* SEEK on a Paradox autoincrement field now works.
* Using SET EXACT no longer causes pending data to be  committed.
* REPLACE ->field now replaces in the correct  workarea under 
  all circumstances.
* If a DML command (e.g., REPLACE) changes a field that is
  DataLinked to an Editor or Checkbox control that is not
  on the current page of a form, that control is now
  refreshed to reflect the new field contents when it is
  eventually displayed.
* If a timed refresh (SET REFRESH) occurs while adding a new
  record in a Browse object, the old bottom record no
  longer becomes the currently edited record.
* If a Browse object is in append mode and a speedbar
  button's OnClick event performs a form.BeginAppend(),
  clicking the button causes exactly one new record to be  saved.
* This release fixes the problem which caused sporadic
  failure of bound variables in SQL statements such as  
  SELECT or INSERT.

FORMS AND APPLICATIONS
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* Checkbox, RadioButton, Rectangle, and Text objects are now
  opaque in Windows 3.1. An earlier problem caused text in
  underlying objects to "bleed" through these objects.
* Events no longer fire for those associated with controls
  that are not on the current page.
* Typing a character while in a listbox will no longer fire
  the system (hot) key of another control.
* Programmatically changing WindowState from Normal to
  Minimized no longer disables events on the form.
* Forms no longer grow when they are programmatically  restored.
* Editor object colors may now be non-solid (dithered).
* If Wrap is .F. and scrollbars are On/Auto in an Editor
  object, the horizontal scrollbar is now visible if  required.
* The Combobox When event now works correctly.
* SpeedTips no longer appear when a form's ShowSpeedTip
  property is set to false. An earlier problem caused any
  assigned tips to flash briefly, even when the
  ShowSpeedTip property was set to false.
* A Combobox or Listbox DataSourced to a table field no
  longer causes a memory leak.
* Runtime only: This release fixes a problem that caused a
  General Protection Fault if a program closed a database
  or called QUIT prior to Release() and a table containing
  a memo field was still open.
* Runtime only: Closing the last open SDI form in an event
  no longer prevents that event from completing.
* Runtime only: To prevent memory leaks, outstanding forms
  are now destroyed when a program terminates.FORM DESIGNER
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* Improved Form Designer selection functionality helps
  prevent accidental movement of a selected control.
* Deselecting a control when exactly two are selected now
  selects the other control in the Form Designer.
* When three or more controls are selected, deselecting just
  one of them removes the handles ("nibs") from the  deselected 
  control.
* Lines and Shapes are now initially selected when dropped
  in the Form Designer.* When setting the Fields property of a
  Browse control or
  using the DataLink tool to set the DataLink property of a
  custom EntryField control, the new value is streamed  correctly.
* The value of the PageNo property of a custom control is
  now streamed when the custom control is pasted to a new  page.

OTHER
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* APPEND FROM ARRAY no longer causes a memory leak.
* Fixed BITOR(), BITAND(), BITXOR(), BITLSHIFT(),
  BITRSHIFT() to work with large numbers.
* KEYMATCH() no longer causes a memory leak.
* REDEFINE no longer causes a memory leak.
* TAGNO() now works when the second parameter (MDX name) is  used.
* Querying the Value property of an Editor object (e.g., ?
  form.editor1.value) no longer truncates to 254 bytes.
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LANGUAGE REFERNCE ADDENDUM
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SET EPOCH
  Sets the base year for interpreting two-digit years in  dates.  
  Syntax
  SET EPOCH TO   Default
  The default base year is 1900, yielding years from 1900 to  1999. 
  Description
  Use SET EPOCH to change how two-digit years are
  interpreted. This allows you to keep SET CENTURY OFF,
  while enabling entry of dates that cross a century
  boundary. The following table shows how dates are
  interpreted using two different SET EPOCH settings:
      Date       1900        1930        2000
    {5/5/00}  05/05/1900  05/05/2000  05/05/2000
    {5/5/30}  05/05/1930  05/05/1930  05/05/2030
    {5/5/99}  05/05/1999  05/05/1999  05/05/2099
  For example, if you SET EPOCH TO 1930, you can continue to
  use most applications with two-digit years unchanged well
  into the 21st century, (although you would no longer be
  able to enter dates before 1930, which would not be a
  problem with many applications). If your applications use
  dates that span more than one hundred years, then SET
  EPOCH alone will not help; you must SET CENTURY ON.
  The base year setting takes effect whenever dates are
  interpreted. In programs, two-digit years in literal
  dates are evaluated at compile-time. If you use SET
  EPOCH, be sure it is set correctly when you compile code
  or run new or changed programs.
  SET EPOCH is a global setting. It is not session-based.
  You may get the value of SET EPOCH with the SET() and  SETTO() 
  functions.
  There is currently no UI or INI file support for SET  EPOCH. 
 