John, here you are preaching about the dynamic nature of VFP data access and you show an example of recordset style object of sql execution and data parsing <s>... that code looks like any ASP classic would. <s> I'd like to see you post process that result set

I'm not proposing this code as a panacea, I'm responding to the suggestion that moving to PHP is more of a challenge. My point is that that PHP is not completely foreign, which may be the perception some people are getting. The difference is perhaps the difference between a Scottish and Texan accent rather than between Cantonese and English. ;-)

But then again you can do that kind of code with classic ASP no problem. With ASP.NET and pure code it would take 10 minutes to write a small wrapper around the data access classes.

I'm not denying that. I'm just saying that any suggestion that ASP.NET is the best or only destination because others are too foreign, deserves to be tested.

There's no doubt about that. Actually I have no illusions that it will ever be that friendly unless they come up with a dynamic language and make it a full scale citizen in .NET

Then that's a step backwards in functionality, even compared to FP2.0.

But as you and I have discussed before its a matter of perception and how you approach data access. I just don't see the need to excessively post-process data on the client...

OK, well I have the right to live in the USA but choose not to, even though others say it is the best country in the world. Perhaps we all need to practice looking through each other's eyes. ;-)

Well, yes and no. I doubt a bank wouldn't ask - whta's this thing written in and sign off without a fight on a FoxPro system even if the system was absolutely top notch and kick a.s.s.

Of course. I was saying that a *customer* is not going to consider backend development tool when choosing a bank. They're interested in functionality and services. So if a company has a Cobol or VFP or qbasic system that is reliable and does the deed, that's what customers care about.

Perception often overrules common sense.

Often? That's the guiding light of our age. Presentation outweighs merit in just about every sphere. Boy are our grandkids going to shake their heads at us. ;-)