Scott and others,
>1. Native code compile since VB 5.0. VFP code is interpreted which may result in slower execution. The word from Microsoft Consulting is that VFP will always be interpreted.
VB's "native code" is a hoax, the VB runtime is installed with teh operating system so you don't see it distributed, but VB is still interpreted pCode just like VFP.
>2. Our user group was told by Microsoft Consulting that we should migrate our front-ends to lightweight interfaces, like HTML/ASP. They said that we should use VFP for strictly building COM components. SQL Server or MSDE should be our database. Microsoft says so, so I do it. Monkey-see, monkey-do.
This is hog wash. VFP is fantastic for building desktop UIs. Using VFP to build the desktop UI does not preclude using anything else to build any other UI you like.
>3. Rumoured loss of support for VFP. I was told by the IT depart of the 3rd largest telecomm company, that they were told by Microsoft that VFP support would be dropped in 2-3 years. This telecomm was hiring VB/VFP people to convert their VFP apps to VB. It's just hearsay, but sounds real to me. In any case, we've all been hearing rumours of VFP being dropped, but when's the last time anyone heard that VB would be dropped? <g>
Rumors again. Well I was recently at Microsoft and the support for VFP is as strong as it ever has been. Version 7 is in development, there are two DevCons next year one in May and the other in September, there will be at least two regional conferences, FoxTALK and FoxPron Advisor are stil being published, books are being written, VFP is being used on many large scale projects. So what is the source of this "rumor"?
>Well, these are some of my reasons for switching. I'm doing a few VFP apps now, but I've already told my customers that this will be the last year that I support VFP. After 2K, I'm only doing VB. I'm already migrating some apps from VFP to a Browser/VB/SQLServer model.
Well, that could be good news for those of us who will continue to use the premier OO dataabse front end product to build successful applications. More work for us. :-)
