For those that have been around as long as I have, this is NOT a new issue.

When MS did support VFP, it was still a bastard child. They owned it, supported it (with periodic updates), but did very little to promote it. The promotion part was left up to the dedicated users of this marvelous product. We promoted it by developing applications that IT departments did not want to fuss with, or we created applications that customers wanted, but no one wanted to develop.

I recently heard that MS has just stopped issuing licenses for Windows 3.0! That's right, Windows 3.0. Eighteen years after Windows 3.0 was release (1990), MS just stopped issuing licenses for it. So if Windows 3.0 can last eighteen years, I'm sure VFP apps will be around a lot longer.

If you're developing for the enterprise, then you've probably got your hands full trying to convince them that VFP is not only a safe bet, but a good one. If I were running a Fortune 500 company and someone said they were going to develop the app in VFP, I'd be tickled pink, but then I know what it's capable of and I've looked at the competition and I'm not impressed. That includes .NET.

I'm sticking with VFP till I find something that does a better job. If that means I have to walk a way from a few jobs because they have a problem with VFP, so be it. When something better comes along, I'll be the first to jump on board. I'm still looking...


>>>>We have a need to receive error reports (either a table or text files) from all of our apps that are out in the field back to our home office. These are a couple of scenarios and questions I have regarding that.
>>>>
>>>>Email: What if the client does not have Outlook installed (some don't). What if they are using an email other than Outlook. Or don't use client email?
>>>>
>>>>Web Service: I now know how to communicate to a server, but what needs to be done on the server to accept the request/information?
>>>>
>>>>FTP: Have no idea how to implement this from either side.
>>>
>>>Take a look at incorporating Blat into your app to send what you need. It's very simple to use, is free, and works great. It runs straight from your program so doesn't require Outlook. I implemented it at my last client (on Bill Kuhn's recommendation) and it was a big hit.
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>>Hi Mike
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>>The nicer thing (IMO) with FTP and Web Services is that you can confirm that what you send has been received. Also with Web services you can respond intelligently so your application knows that what it sent has not only been received but processed (or not) at the web server end. I often think that email communications are a bit like firing your messages off into the dark. thye may get there but you don't really know.
>
>That's a good point. In the environment where I used Blat all the emails were going to internal addresses or external addresses that were known to be good (my client's customers), so we were fine. But when email is more iffy a more rigorous approach, especially the confirmation, would make more sense.