>Everything was rosy until one of my clients ran it on Terminal Services. Lost that client because of the dreaded 'Error can't find file' error which it appears is a TS bug when running VFP (all versions). Now another large client is running TS and my data integrity has become a worry. After many years of a robust APP I am now losing confidence. While the Fox community pooh poohed the TS bug, non Fox people were telling my clients that VFP and TS is not a good partnership. I am starting to agree.

Never agree with competitors on such a matter. I know of 2 large TS installs: there definately were things to work out, but that happens everywhere: I had sometimes to program around pure fox bugs as well. $hit happens. There are smart guys living off TS-VFP combinations. I see this as prio 1.

>First thing I will have to do is rewrite my 17 years of work. Yes I have heard about the .NET Vfp compilier, but I am going to have to re-write the whole thing in order to make it work on SQL Server or similar anyhow so my current thinking is might as well bite the bullet and learn something more modern. Because a program such as mine together with it's client base and regular income is a saleable commodity when I become too old and doddery to cope anymore (closer than I dare admit) I am informed on extremely good authority that the thing must be written in current month flavour to attract a buyer. VFP is definately not on the current flavour variety menu right now.

All in all reasonable. Perhaps rephrase to "must be adaptable at moments notice to current month flavor"<g>.

>So in the end; hate Microsoft all you like, I have listened to the 'MS demise is just around the corner' for years now, but like the end of the world it never comes. Some of my friends have gone to what I think of as spongy alternatives like Delphi etc, but they are a bit off beat in my opinion. My current thinking is to stick stubbornly with VFP is like driving my car into a gradually worsening bog.

Dunno how often you you rework your code: n-tier and layered is a must in any SW IMHO. How much refactoring is needed ? DON'T buy the "total rewrite" scams: you often get more than 2/3 with very little refactoring.

Prio 2: Make yourself backend-agnostic (create an excahngeble data layer - stay away from SP approaches if your clients may run diferent backends in the future) first. If during that you encounter glaring architectural mistakes involving the front end, either document or fix them.