Tracy,

As I have been saying the self forfilling prophet!! I don't have a clue what you're trying to say here. I could give you a total different analysis of the place were VFP is in, and it does have nothing to do with outdated technology.

VFP is build on technology that is far more modern than you think. It is called repository based development where resources are stored in a database. There are numerous large enteprise systems build on this principle. Building applications on meta data and database technology still is one step up from text compiled systems, but that of course would not withold anyone not having a clue of this (for them) totally foreign world to ignore or refute. I've seen such systems work and it really is a step up from a productivity pov, though there are all kinds of sidenotes to make. In the near future this will become clear in other ERP/ERM systems scaling down to the smaller companies (As navision is already doing). Idealy those ERP/ERM systems will run on .NET in the future so that we could take best of both worlds.

The problem with VFP probably is that it is too much in the middle ground and has too much of a code and syntax history to be continued. .NET is on one side, repository based systems is on the other side. VFP was neither flesh nor fish, but held up extremely well because it is cheap and fast.

.NET is a step forward in some areas because it is a OS independed platform with a common runtime where several vendors could deliver their products. However, if you look at VB.NET and C# you can see the drawbacks in productivity as well. It is not an uncommon remark up here, that you can be more productive in VFP. Things like datahandling, runtime compilation are certainly not up to VFPs standard. So how could we honestly say without a doubt that this is a big step forward ?? I'm personally stunned that anno 2007 we still have to declare our variables in strict types like integer, long, smallints etc... what is this? Is this called progress ?? I don't care about the internal types. numeric is numeric, string is string and date is date. Are we really going that backward HAVING to tell (as oposed to optional) the compiler what to expect ?? This is backward.. not forwards.

But hey... I can understand not everyone agreeing with me. It would not be the first time, people not understanding the stupidity of something that obvious.

OTOH, there is good news. Other languages will jump .NET and in time will develop a more sensible approach of modern programming.

Walter,




>If you can take the time, please read his post - to the end of the message.
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>Message #942419
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>>>Wow, I disagree with your perception Walter.
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>>Anyone might disagree with me. I've been through enough posts with him. He did not have a clue about the importance of data handling and how VB and VB.NET were inferiour in many, many ways.
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>>Even though MS admitted the inferiourity, he would not agree in any way. His urge to move everyone to VB at first instance and later after his short rejection of .NET (supported by karl peterson) he embraced .NET as the next new thing. If I remember correctly if started sayign the VFP7 was the last released version.
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>>My challenges to him in regards to data handling went unanswered.
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>>I do understand that many people who knew him in person valued him a lot more and that he was another person in real life, but since I do not have that experience JVP remains that virtual bully online, as for most people up here. I also do know that he was a fine VFP teacher, but to me that does not mean he knew his meta data and data handling well. He came just from the other side were data handling is something secundary, and not the central point of creatig flexible and extensible solutions.
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>>I've been through quite a lot of programming languages, like C/C++, pascal, Basic and even some VB, Z80 assembler. I can say that with FOX2X, and VFP and some experience in navision, I really took a step further than looking beyon the static type of applications where you have to explicetely compile before anything, and can handle data conveniently and directly for both ad-hoc troubleshooting as eefectively using as metadata and complex data munging for statistical analysis.
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>>That's my story... again anyone is free to disagree...