Good analysis, Thierry.


>>I doubt there is any chance of self-financing rewriting 15 years of accumulated code and knowledge

I've done a few VFP-NET conversions (NOT self financed!) and they went surprisingly quickly and smoothly.

With conversions you have a fixed target while the people developing the app in the first place were improvising as they went along.

One of the important variables is how the data was stored in the original app.
The VFP apps I converted used SQL-Server, so I used all the queries, views and stored procedures that were already there.

Converting from DBF's adds quite a bit to the project so I'd advise anyone contemplating a platform switch in the future to do the data store conversion now.


>Hi Charles,
>
>Thanks for sharing your ideas and experience in a constructive way.
>
>Many factors can influence a dev choice for the coming years - most of them look like very unclear, at least to me.
>
>Before discussing tools or solutions, the very first choice IMO is whether to target desktop or browser - that was my point when responding to the OP, surprisingly no one discussed this critical issue.
>
>Regarding VFP, I see 3 very different dev situations: whether you are (1) a consultant selling expertise, (2) a corporate developer, or (3) a S/W company (even a one-man shop) selling a software asset.
>
>Knowing that (1) often collaborate with (2), both are linked to whatever marketing trend arise: .Net on day 1, LAMP on day 2, etc. - just toss a coin and pray for being lucky.
>
>Regarding (3), I doubt there is any chance of self-financing rewriting 15 years of accumulated code and knowledge - here is the place where FoxInCloud can help.
>
>>The VFP "community" has always been very bad about supporting commercial third party products.
>>
>> My own association with the Feltmans at F1 Technologies taught me that most VFP developers who could have benefited from a framework just would not invest in something that could have made them much more successful. There was a lack of understanding about the skills required to build developer tools and the skills needed to develop business applications.
>>
>>By failing to invest small amounts of money in frameworks or important tools like Stonefield many developers who did not have the skills (or the time) to develop their own frameworks and utilities did not work as efficiently or a profitably as they could have done.
>>
>>The vast majority of the best VFP developers now use other tools for new development.
>>
>> I believe those who still think of VFP as their tool of choice for new development are either a few remaining experts who have great tools, lots of experience in business analysis and a client base that provides steady work or they are developers who lack sufficient skills in any other development platform, who may still be struggling with VFP, and need all the help they can get.
>>
>>At this stage, VFP developers should be grateful that anyone is still offering ways they can extend the life of their VFP knowledge.
>>
>>I have personally chosen to move on to other technologies for all new development but I think anyone who insists on going forward with VFP needs to know about and seriously consider products like yours that address issues in using VFP in the modern world.
>>
>>Bon courage.