>Hi All,
>
>A large Corporate Client of mine was prepared to update a VFP 9 App until they went on Microsoft's VFP Main page: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/vfoxpro/bb190225.aspx and got scared by the statement:
>
>"Note that Visual FoxPro 9.0 is the last version and was published in 2007. For a great solution for building modern business applications, take a look at LightSwitch in Visual Studio 2012"
>
>which they interpreted this as "Microsoft is telling us to use another product."
>
>So we have another case of FUD - Fear, Uncertainy Doubt..So I have to reassure them..
>
>Any articles around to make the business case for VFP?
>
>BTW, Already own the wonderful Henztenwerke Book: The Business Case for Moving (Some) Business Applications to VFP in 2013 - Highly Recommended

I don't think it is fear uncertainty and doubt at this point. VFP is a discontinued product and quality VFP developers are increasingly scarce. That has to give any corporate client pause. Despite the creativity and efforts of some very smart people I really like and respect and have known well for a long time, there are many things that are taken for granted in modern apps that are a lot more trouble than one would like them to be in vfp and very simple in more modern development stacks.

I get the impression from the question that possibly you are not interested in giving the client advice on the best course to take but are interested in ammunition to make the case that VFP is the way to go as that is your personal choice, is that correct? Are you open to the idea that VFP might be a bad choice?

While I don't think the client should make their decision based on any Microsoft pronouncements, websites, advice or whatever I think it would be irresponsible at this point to advise a "large corporate client" to invest much in a VFP app. I'm not sure what an "update" would entail, but any new development should involve a real DBMS on the back end ( is the current app sql server or dbcs?) and then a DotNet app, probably using WebApi and an HTML5/Javascript stack.

In any case, if they go forward with vfp it is going to be increasingly difficult to find competant developers to maintain and extend the app as most of the best vfp developers have moved on and take VFP work only reluctantly at very premium prices.