>Can anyone tell me what the main points are for VFP as opposed to Delphi and what it does right?
>

VFP is derived from xBASE roots, is interpretive rather than native-code compiled, allowing greater flexibility for language adaptation at runtime, and is more closely integrated into the Visual Studio environment. It requires distribution of large runtime components under all circumstances. It has its own native file system which has incredible query optimizations as well as the ability to use ADO/ODBC/DAO, etc. to access data. The native VFP user interface does not follow current Windows standards for ActiveX controls, which can be either beneficial or detrimental depending on where you need to deploy the UI and how you write your code. It requires more work to use the Win32 API than Delphi, but integrates COM technology better. Microsoft is likely to be open for business next week.

Delphi is derived from an Object Pascal language, can emit native code, resulting in a smaller executable and application footprint, but as a result doesn't permit as much flexibility in terms of runtime evaluation and bindings. It is faster in some tight loop environments, but doesn't have the native file system performance of VFP; it does not have its own native file system, using an external driver for database operations. It has better native support for C-style structure definitions, making non-COM enhancement easier in many cases. It's available on a cross-platform basis. It uses standard ActiveX controls for its form handling, for better or worse. Borland's existance is more problematic than Microsoft's in spite of DOJ rulings.