>Craig,
>
>Back at DEVCON time I stated that I was gonna take a genuine shot at Visual Studio 6.0 when it is available.
>As luck would have it, it arrived at my door TODAY.
>
>In other words, I *will* be "playing" with the other tools.
>
>The issue at hand is not me - it is VFP's stated direction towards "middle tier".
>
>As you have read from some others, this is *not* particularly the 'direction' EVERYONE wants and needs.

I agree with you.

>
>I simply tried to point out that this "direction" has a very *real* cost in ALL the other aspects of VFP, *including* even the VFP engiine itself (mid-tier hardly needs it).

All design decisions have trade-offs. I'll state right now that when OOP menus and reports are added that people will complain about them and say things like "Why couldn't Microsoft leave them alone?". Every developer has different needs and wants.

>
>You and a few others have stated many many times that a "common" reporter (and possibly a common menu feature) will be available. Well, WHERE's THE BEEF???

Just be patient...it will be there. How long did it take MS to integrate the pieces of Office? They still aren't done there.

>
>It ain't here with VS 6.0 and I doubt that it will appear with VS7 - which development team, precisely, do you epect to undertake that task??? Given other rationale put forward for the VFP Team's focus, why would any other team be any different???

I can't comment on when it will appear because I don't know. Microsoft will form a new team for the common tools.

>
>Finally, I did say that I do mind that mid tier is the focus, BUT I *do* mind that it eliminates OTHER DEVELOPMENT which countless VFP users need very badly!

It's a matter of time. The VFP team listed all the requests from developers as well as what they needed in the product to make it work with the other tools. They prioritized it and did what they could in the allotted time. That's why VFP COM components block simultaneous calls....they just didn't have the time to make it work correctly. The VFP team does not set their own release dates. Neither does the VB team or the VC++ team.

>
>Cheers,
>
>Jim N
>