Hi Ed ---

Thanks for the Happy New Year! Same to you!

I don't think it spells an end to our product (VFP) at all. First off, when VFP gets a bit more adept at working with ADO, communicating with other COM objects, and working multiple-instance with MTS (all version 7 or before goals), VFP becomes a strong contender for use as the foundation for a data services object.

Secondly, not all shops will need monster n-tier solutions. There will always be a need for a single-tier applications and VFP fits that job to perfection. Even in smaller scale 2+ tier solutions, VFP fits the bill well with it's (somewhat) clean integration with SQL Server. What I would *really* like to see in the next version is databinding between VFP controls and ADO recordsets so that we can offer solutions that use DBF solutions or Desktop SQL Server (or --- what is it called now? --- the MS Universal Database).

>Firstly, resistance is futile, and we all will be absorbed into ... (whatever it will be called alphabetically). However, we should be honest to the end, this scenario spells the end to our product. As I see from your reply, you're not using VFP as mid-tier right?
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>And now what is more important. Happy New Year!
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>>Exactly. We have some talented HTML/Java guys in our shop and I am amazed at the work they can do ... equals/exceeds just about anything I can do in VFP with the additional bennie of using the browser metaphore, a standard for virtually any contemporary PC user.
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>>>And your point is well taken. We haven't developed any new proprietary front-ends in over a year. Everyone wants their apps intranet or internet or both. The low maintenance alone is a great reason (Overworked System Administrator: "You want me to install this 20MB exe plus libraries on how many machines?!?"). And if you can dictate IE as the browser, there isn't a whole lot presentation wise you can do in VB or VFP that you can't do in the browser.
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>>>I guess Jim will get to yell at me too! %^}
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>>>>Nice points. I guess my main point is that there is a dwindling compelling need for proprietary front-ends such as those in VB and VFP. Scary, but true. Now I'll probably have Jim N. yelling at me ;-D