Hi Michelle..

First off, I am very sorry about your current predicament. The very issue you are going through is exactly what has concerned me.

Ok...how to get through this...

The VB 5 books will be just fine. VB 6 was not that big of a jump. The first thing you must remember to do is not take a VFP mindset to VB. You must take VB on its own terms. Then, you will start to see the similarities.

Also, don't just buy, subscribe to VBPJ and SQL Server Magazine. These are great resources, take advantage of them. Also, there are a ton of free resources on MSDN. Also, for $99, the CD-Rom on teaching yourself VB from MS Press is a great deal with equally great quality..

Right now, you need to concentrate on the forest. Look at the big picture with VB. It is easy to get sucked into the details. If you can understand what the primary modules in VB are:

Basic
Form
Class

And further, if you can understand how variables are scoped and how functions and procedures work, you have won half the battle.

From a language standpoint, VFP and VB are about 80% the same. If there is a particulary nasty routine that you need that involves strings, chances are, somebody else has done it and it is available.

Also, start hanging out at DevX.com - these are the folks that publish VBPJ...

Obviously, the next big issue is going to be how you deal with data. No question that it is very different than what you are used to in VFP. It is here that you will need a methodology of sorts.

I will see to it that you get a free copy of DataClas COM which is written in VB - by yours truly < vbg >. The package will contain what amounts to a mini-framework in VB. Also, there are plenty of examples on how to build business objects and in turn, how to hook them into forms and data. We will be demoing this at Devcon in Miami..

Take a deep breath, everything is going to be fine, and FWIW, while you may feel a bit aprehensive, it is the beginning of something new and exciting - trust me on this....

You Fox knowledge is going to come in handy. However, all of the Fox skills don't mean much when there is a severe lack of jobs. This is what many folks need to understand. It is your scenario that I wish to address and it is folks like you that I wish to help.

For any off-line advice, please, my private email is open to you.. Please take advantage of it...


Best regards,

< JVP >