Kevin,

>Based on the type of mentoring and training that I do, most of these companies I work with are not simply using VFP for 1 or 2-tier applications. I have far more work than I can handle helping companies move to a true n-tier distributed architecture, scaling their applications to the Internet. I've been able to place a good number of VFP developers with companies who need this sort of expertise, as well as providing many independent consultants with contract work.

Yep. As you know, a company I'm consulting with is headed your way soon, to learn how to re-architect their old FPW apps for multi-tier design in VFP -- that will also facilitate the web-enabling of them.

>It's a *great* time to be an advanced Visual FoxPro developer who understands and can implement the concepts of n-Tier architecture. The scarcity of these skills actually turns out to be a great opportunity for those who have mastered n-tier architecture.

I agree completely. I've seen the same demand related to Web-enabling existing FP and VFP apps.

>That said, I still think it's a great idea to become familiar with other development tools. I personally use VB (including VBScript, VBA), JavaScript and C++. I also recommend getting intimate with client-server databases such as SQL Server or Oracle.

For me so far, the extras include VBScript with ASP, VBScript and JavaScript for browser-side scripting and UI enhancements, HTML and DHTML, IIS configuration, and a little SQL Server. Not to mention a few frameworks, too. :-)