>Phil
>
>Thanks for the informative reply.
>
>Unfortunately - most of what has been suggested doesn't apply to this partic app - although I've used many of these techniques in the past.
>
>I really need to find out just how much faster Delphi is at instantiating a fairly simple top-level form (no page frames), using local data, than VFP.
>
>I was interested to here that you were able to pick it up fairly quickly and that it contains a good set of commands and controls (though not as many as VFP). Also that you preferred it to VB.
>
>
>I think I need to get a copy and do a bit of experimentation !
>
>Regards
>
>
>Anna


Hi Anna,

As Rick said in his reply, Delphi is faster than VFP in form load time, all *other* things being equal. VFP excels in its data handling capabilities. If the app is not data centric, and overall app speed is an issue, Delphi is indeed a very attractive alternative to VFP.

As I said earlier, picking up the language was not a steep curve. Pascal reminds me a lot of xBase, with a lot of plain english keywords. The code is very readable.

You can get it pretty cheap, the Standard version is only $99.00 US, or you can get the pro version for $250 US, which is a competitive upgrade (I suspect VFP and/or VS are included in the competitor list). The product site is http://www.inprise.com/delphi/productinfo/.