>From my perspective: I would be interested to hear your impressions of Delphi, >Java (nice versions like Supercede, for example, as well as J++), maybe >Powerbuilder. All good products. None of which you judge to be the "right" >tool, based on what I read here.

Of all the tools you listed, Delphi is the most viable. However, for some time, there has been a going concern issue with regard to the company. All of the best minds that designed Delphi work for Microsoft now anyway < bg >.

Java - too immature of a platform. Powerbuilder, had promise - but once Sybase bought Powersoft, it has been screwed up ever sense. Not to mention, Powerbuilder is one expensive beast.

So, based on my experience, I have not been driven to use any of these tools. I came close with Powerbuilder - back when version 3.0 came out. Its lack of ActiveX Control support and generally weak language and instability - combined with its outlandish prices - kept me using VFP.


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>Sometimes it seems that some of us only ever consider products that come from Microsoft. May I hasten to add that this is a perfectly valid and defensible stance, because Microsoft produces very strong tools that I use and I would not want to argue against that, but for such a person to then accuse others of having personal bias in choice of tools reminds yours truly of various proverbs about casting the first stone in a glasshouse with a beam in one's eye.
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>Sorry, couldn't resist. <g>
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>Re<g>ards
>
>JR