If they can't find VFP, Javascript, PHP or Python programmers...

My customers care about many things; and some do care about the ability to customize. Lianja has that well covered, and in fact is much friendlier, in the way VFP is friendlier than .Net or Java, to customization than any other alternatives that are also cross-platform and multiple device. (Sorry, that's a trick comparison: there aren't any other dev platforms that are cross platform and multiple device, are there?) My customers also care about rapid turnaround for features, about TCO, about no installs, about mobile. Lianja has all that covered.

All that said, going with a new product is always a momentous choice. I felt that way switching from dBMan, which ran on the Atari ST and on the PC, to FoxPro (1 -- never opened my Foxbase+ box). Would this product last? Would it grow? That's the way with all new products. The difference I've come to look for is the difference between Fox and MS: Fox listened to the community (not exclusively or only), and met the community's expressed needs. Lianja has demonstrated that same commitment.

I've already mentioned the first product we'll be doing to an IT director: she was delighted. Didn't ask what it was being written with, just cared about what it would do. 90% of the IT directors, from small to large Enterprise, will have the same reactions. And for the rest, the list of Enterprises where Lianja is already slated to be installed during the first year will settle the rest of the question.

You raised a good point. I think that calling VFP a niche product is true now; it was not true in 1994 and was still not true in 2004. Which raises the issue of how one defines niche. Are Silverlight programmers now (as contrasted with 2 years ago) programming in a niche product? I'd say yes, because it certainly can't be considered mainstream. How about Windows Forms? Classic ASP? All non-mainstream: that they come from a big company doesn't mean anything.

A niche implies a tiny space that can't be outgrown: Windows Forms, Classic ASP, Silverlight and VFP are in tiny spaces from which they will not grow. I know of nothing that would prevent Lianja from growing outward, from becoming widespread in the developer communities: it has all the parts, has the right attitude, and is developing a vibrant community.

Thanks for questioning: that's an important part of this community.

Hank.


>IMO, going to Lianja is a disservice to your customers. Moving from one niche product (VFP) to a product that's even more niche won't help the customer any when they can't find developers to enhance solutions. Too often, we neglect to look at long term affects of our tech choices.
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>>Do you mean Craig's suggestion, or my suggestion (Lianja)?
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>>Just in case you meant Lianja, it is true that it is aimed at the Access programmers in workgroups or SMB's, in part. That's a huge market, and in fact that's where xBase, and Fox, has its roots.
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>>Lianja is also, however, highly scalable and clusterable; it is "large numbers of users" multi-user performant. If you need to deploy to 5,000 users hitting a single database, you really want to give this product a look. Lianja has done a good job of making it easy; that doesn't mean the product isn't capable.
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>>The fancier developer tools I want (e.g., integration with xCase for data design; a Business Rules dictionary tied to metadata) will come with time (as we build them): what's important is that all the objects and hooks we need to do that are either there, or will be provided if we need them.
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>>Hank