>>>Hi -
>>>
>>>In looking through the messages posted about converting for Foxpro 2.6 (DOS) to Visual, the general consensus seems to be redesign in Visual and don't look back. The programmers I work with (including me) would love to be able to do that.
>>>
>>>However, there have been several proposals made to our group which suggest using a modular approach to rewriting in Visual Foxpro, that is, rewrite one section of our (very large) application at a time in Visual Foxpro, using (by neccessity) our existing Foxpro for DOS tables (.dbfs) as free tables. By large, I mean we have 100 individual prgs, and 80 or so dbf files.
>>>
>>>So we end up with our existing Dos based sytem, but now we have a Visual module that we're supposed to incorporate somehow into this, switching back and forth. Then, at some future point I'm sure we'll want to use the DBC, so we have to rewrite everything(?!) to use this new data source? Or do we? I made the analogy when this whole idea was proposed, that it sounded like remodeling your house, then after all that, deciding you need to pour a new foundation. But I'm a neophyte with Visual, so maybe my metaphor was off.
>>>
>>>Anyway, this seems very clumsy to me, but not only that, I don't know if FPD26 and Visual Foxpro can write to the same table with no ill effects.
>>>
>>>I would appreciate any advice and/or experience anyone can share about this oft-discussed topic. We really want to make the case to (the powers that be) to do this the right way.
>>>
>>>Sylvia
>>
>>You can share free tables between VFP and FPD seamlessly, but your metaphor was right. One more advantage of starting from data design (besides reasonable idea that data model is app foundation) is that you will optimize the structure tremendously (I assume that there are alot of garbage among 80 or so dbfs). Maybe the right way is to create batch application which will move data (once or on scheduled basis) from FPD system to new VFP database.
>
>
>Start using the DBC now and have some stored procedures that also update the old free tables. When you finish the conversion, take out the stored procedures.
>
>Craig

Sorry, you lost me on this one...I don't see how we can do both at the same time. Can you be a little more explicit?

Sylvia