I think a good way to look at this is the application development model. VFP is great for building single-tier applications. And, it can fit in to the multi-tier model. However, the sorts of elements required for a multi-tier application are not the same things that make VFP stand apart from other tools. To put it another way, there is nothing you can do in VFP that you cannot do in VB when it comes to building multi-tier applications. In fact, when it comes to events, VB has a big advantage over VFP. Yes, VFP has a great DML, but when it comes to building multi-tier apps, those elements dont really come into play. Remember, there are only a few basic things you can do with data:

Add new data
Modify existing data
Delete data

When it comes to data munging, yes the local VFP cursor engine is supurb for this type of operation. Yet, it sits outside of the multi-tier model. What does MS focus it's efforts on? Building applications using Windows DNA. Simply put, while VFP can play in that world to some extent, there are other tools better suited for those type of apps. Yes, MS would be there to tell you that VFP is great for building single-tier apps. However, MS would also be the first to tell you they are not interested in optimizing ways to build single-tier apps. Today and the future is centered upon building multi-tier, distributed applications. MS uses focus groups to a large extent, and the statistics would bear that most folks are interested in learning how to build multi-tier apps, not in building single-tier apps. For MS, that the opportunity is in the multi-tier arena, not the single-tier arena. MS is a business. It would not be good business to devote a lot of time and energy preaching products and methodolgies geared toward an architecture that most folks could care less about today.

Something to think about. When was the last time we had sessions at Devcon on Fox 2.x, either Dos or Windows? What about sessions on optimizing with Win16 platform? Its been a while, and nobody seems to be complaining. It is all part of an evolutionary process, and this issue is just another step on the ladder.

Folks need to separate thier personal needs from how MS positions VFP. 100's of thousands of developers make nice livings working with Visual FoxPro, building both single-tier and multi-tier applications. For those building multi-tier apps, they are in a great position to use the other tools, because they have mastered the hard part, the architecture. Using other languages is easy. Understanding the architecural and design issues is the hard part.

Folks that are still building single-tier apps can still do that. Having MS propose that as a preferred way to build apps is totally unreasonable in my opinion. Anything else sends a mixed message.

If all you is build single-tier apps, you have a great tool. Recognize however, that model of building apps is falling behind the mainstream of the industry. The subject matter of books and periodicals beaer this fact out.

If you use VFP to build multi-tier apps, my suggestion is to take a good look at why you are using VFP. I am not saying that using VFP is wrong, I am just suggesting one ask the question. All too often, folks scoff at whether you can do things in VB. When it comes to events and asyncronous processing, VB has some real advantages. VB has some advantages when it comes to working with the Windows API. Once again, I am not suggesting folks drop VFP. Rather, just check out the other tools. You may find what you have been looking for.