The line "You are obviously working on large corporate systems which will almost certainly be yelling for .Net/SQL because the business magazine acticles tell them to do so." is the standard talking line amongst those who feel the need to hold out.

This requires that you ignore all the VFP programmers who have switched and do not have any complaints. When we were looking to fill a VFP position several months ago, all the resumes that came from what would consider a skilled programmer, included .Net skills. All of those we contacted, either had already found a .Net gig, or came in for an interview, but accepted a .Net offer.

The refrain that .Net programmers don't know what they're missing when doing data I think is very wrong. I've talked to many, many people working in .Net now, and quite a few come from a VFP background and don't look back at all.

If you work on your own, or for a very small company it is tricky to get the funding to explore .Net. But it can be done. As an independent I've spent my own money to take evening classes. I also attend the local user groups quite frequently. I've attended the LA code camp and will attend the San Diego code camp this weekend.

I sat next to an ex-VFP guy a couple Saturdays ago at a special user group meeting. He told me how he picked a client who was not in a hurry for a system and gave them a flat price. So he wasn't under time pressure to get something out for his first attempt.

In addition to seeing all those who've left VFP for .Net, there is also the other side of the coin for staying VFP. Finding quality VFP programmers is incredibly difficult. After looking thru resumes that last time, I felt that most, if not all, of those applying just didn't have the necessary skills to learn .Net.

>>You are obviously working on large corporate systems which will almost certainly be yelling for .Net/SQL because the business magazine acticles tell them to do so.
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>Bob, I can't believe what you have said above. Do you really think that big business spend on .NET/SQL because "the business magazine acticles tell them to do so" ??? The company I am currently working for are very shrewd indeed. I am a long standing FOX/VFP developer (since 1989) and I can tell you that the tools I am using right now are totally right for the job and VFP has been usurped because the company have simply outgrown it, and its capabilities. To suggest that they have been "tricked" by business magazine articles is Fox-oriented wishfull thinking on your part.
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>>In this case your skillset is determined/demanded by your employer/customers.
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>Isn't yours? I can work for a VFP customer or a .NET customer or a SQL server customer. I have no axe to grind, irrespective of the tool or platform any customer would require. If the customer had no preference about the technology and just wanted a system that did the job, then I would choose the correct tool for the job. It wouldn't automatically be VFP because the customer didn't have a preference (or a clue).
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>>We have not found anything we set out to do that we havn't been able to accomplish with VFP.
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>As Fox developers, we look(ed) towards not only MS but talented Fox Gurus to help us find ways to make VFP do things it was never designed to do correctly or efficiently. So, your statement above doesn't surprise me - however, this doesn't mean that forcing a square peg into a round hole makes for the best solution - a solution maybe, but not necessarily the best one.
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>>I personally think .Net is still one or two versions away from where I want to invest my time/energy to get involved with it
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>Like the thread originator who invested a whole three months into C# before scurrying back to Fox, it would appear that unless you have spent sufficient time with .NET, you are not really in a position to make the above conclusion. I can tell you for certain, that with .NET 2 / VS2005, there are few cases where I could see any advantage to using VFP, even for the smallest applications. I can say that on the basis of my experience with both tools.
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>>and I forsee no problem keeping busy and earning a GREAT living using VFP.
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>Kudos to you and power to the Fox - I am sure there are many people making a good living using Fox. It just dried up in these parts many years ago so you either change skills or change occupation.