It are the ones who made extensively use of those features that you'll hear complain. Many of the VFP programmers we not using VFP it to the extent in which it was possible to handle data. IT are the developper who just take the VB6 approach to solve a project. In general they are not the most brilliant ones anyway.

I personally come accross only a very handfull VFP developpers who indeed do. One of them is Steven Black, and I've seen some projects from others where VFPs flexibility in data handling is really shining. A project from any kramek and marcia akins (data access transparancy) is another example that impressed me.

And anyone who has only looked a little on how VFP is build on database technology where about everything is a table (forms, classlibraries, resources, intellisense, reports, etc) should know that this is they way to go, not just the flat text files currently in use by most compiled languages.

The ones that do complain, will not easily switch to a .NET language like VB and C#, because they are very different in their nature. BTW, I've heard rick strahl complain quite a bit, esspecially in the early days and he is not even a data munging specialist. Those developers like me, will just look for how their inverstments can be saved as much as possible. Looking on how .NET is going to evolve, on how database add-ons are going to be handled. It is deadly to make uninformed and early decisions. It might be better to stay with what is solid and working right now rather than jump on something new. The early adaptors of java have made their mistakes and datahandling in the early .NET were just a disaster. Things are getting better and will get better. But they are not their yet, and microsoft is not denying that either.

Bottom line. If you did not use VFP strenghts in the first place, you'll not miss them in another language. You can't miss what you don't know. I'd be happy to participate in any contest to show the benefits of a language with an integrated database engine from a flexibility and performance pov. If you're good in this, you'll be able to create better solutions than the others. VFP offers you to do something that is more difficult than in other languages, just because it has an integrated database langauge.

Those who just choose to ignore and stick their head in the sand, so be it. MS did not absorb the VFP team and it technologies for nothing. There must be a reason for that, not ??

Walter,