>Can it be true? Is VFP the only viable desktop RAD tool for serious database development? Or, are the members of this thread a little biased ;) ?

Certainly not the only one. But certainly the best among Microsoft solutions for medium-to-large data sets and/or many-multi-user apps.

Naturally many members of this thread have some bias toward FoxPro. But many people here make much use of other products including VB and Access, as well as non-Microsoft tools. And when it comes to writing intense database apps, VFP is still a great tool. Still one of the best in several categories, including speed, power of built-in tools, and the fact that it's truly object oriented (VB and Access are not object oriented, although they are "visual". VC++ is object oriented, of course, maybe more so than VFP.)

>If it is true then it might explain why Microsoft feels that it is not necessary to expend much marketing effort on this product.

Bill Gates started Microsoft with two products, DOS and BASIC, which he wrote. Do you suppose he might like BASIC a little bit? :) :)

Seriously, Microsoft has shown several times that, although they're committing serious resources to supporting existing FoxPro developers, they're making very little effort to bring new people into the FoxPro fold. This gives an impression that Mr. Gates wishes FoxPro would go away and people would start using the things he likes better. But the FoxPro community is strong and loud and making sure that Microsoft knows that VFP will continue to be important to us for a long time, and Microsoft is responding. Not responding to our complete satisfaction, but at least they're still committing serious resources to upgrading VFP to keep it up to date with their other Visual Studio tools, and enhancing it's own special capabilities which other VS tools don't have.

[off soapbox] :)

Cheers,
Rich.