>I read a comment from a VB Programmer:
>Reasons why I am leaving VB :
>1) I'm tired of each version being less stable then the previous.
>2) I'm tired of each version being slower then the previous.
>3) I'm tired of interviewing VB "programmers" who are absolutely clueless about program design.
>4) I'm tired of M$'s changing commitment to .NET ( oops make that DCOM, oops I mean COM, sorry Active-X, absolutely OLE).
>VB appeals to the lowest common denominator programmer. I am tired of being part of that group.
>
>well, VB is for dummies, C++ is for "Real Programmers" , FOx is for ..., let see : programmers of business databases apps?, but we sharing the MS Changing commitment (DCOM,COM,Activex, now .NET), the WInDNA is a good thing but MS changing, and the time we invest to learn? (who cares!), i like fox because is design for make databases apps, i dont need more, and fox is powerful and is a real RAD, better than VB or Delphi, or JAVA, because Fox really is a Framework for making Database apps with C, fox is make with C, not using VB or Delphi for make products like Fox, :-), and we use Fox because is quick, stable ,OOP and xbase compatible.
>
>time ago, when foxbase start,(in DOS time) the app standard was dev with QBasic (father of VB), Turbo Pascal (father of Delphi) or Microsoft C (father of C# and Java), the dbase suppose a revolution in time dev, all people change from this "obsolete languages" to Dbase, later start Clipper and this compiler makes "REALs Exes"! wow!, later FoxPro 1.0 with something called rushmore and compact indexs, the reality is : Windows 3.0 start and Microsoft buy Foxpro for killing!!, nooo, what language run in Windows? : Visual BASIC 3.0! (the only because Visual C is too complicated), all people start a dev with VB because Microsoft kill foxpro and clipper is DOS Based and DBase is slow and dont make real EXES, VB is a Basic language with Form Designer, and report designer with small data access (later solved with SQL and client server concept), from here VB start to growup ,and Fox is a "obsolete" language because XBase is from the DOS times, how many people knows VFP?, they think VFP is XBASE
>for Windows, and VB?, Visual Basic is designed for Windows, VFP is adapted to windows, but the reality is we REALLY are more productive with VFP what VB because VFP was designed for data and data is business, wc.dll is make with VC++ not VFP, but the power of wc.dll is VFP , the power of VFP is the data, the power of VB is ..???, i dont know, i dont understand the people who usign VB for make a database app, they usign VB and Access database, and people buy this software only with the fact is make with VB, now the people buy apps with the only fact what is make with C# or Java, the business people like VB people because is cheap, we are more expensive because invest time in learn not only the language , we knows the business, and we need knows program design because the 90% sell or design solutions with VFP. (we are lone ranger) i dev with Java but i really preffer VFP for business apps, the Java Business Implementation is expensive , with VFP only need the computers and the net. Java
>is amazing for multithread (see www.genlogic.com, we usign for automation of industrial plants) but VFP is amazing with the Data, the concept of design n tier is true and fast with VFP.
>
>if Microsoft kill Fox we change to a another OOP language, exist a project for clipper compiler in Linux for the XBASe people, Recital is dev a VFP Clone, the concept of the power of data is from VFP, noone language have this power, all in VFP is Data, the classes, the reports, the menus, we can things like &_Command, (codeblock.prg), we can manipulate all in VFP, in VB we need lots of activexs, but anyway i happy to stay in this comunity with Visual Fox.
>
>Long live to UT! (thanks Cetin for the tips!)
>
>when the report designer is Object oriented?
>when the menu is object oriented?
>
>with Best Regards
>
>Francisco Morosini

Francisco,

So what's your point? A programmer's ability to write good apps is not as much dependent on the tool he or she uses but their skills as a programmer. VB 6.0 is a perfectly acceptable tool for building enterprise database applications for client/server or the web.

I agree that VB.NET is fairly nebulous right now but it does look to be a strong player in the .NET platform FWIW. I think it's a very viable option for developers who prefer the VB syntax to C (like myself). I intend on developing software using VB and VFP for a long time to come but will probably be using VB (in whatever form) for all new/web development. If you already know VB and are comfortable with it (which I'm not convinced you are) then you will probably find it a more valuable asset to your development reportiore than VFP. VFP (albeit a great tool) gets very little respect in the corporate IT world - don't be fooled by the environment here on the UT. This is not my opinion. It's reality (at least in the United States). If you need convincing, simply do a job search on the web for VB and VFP.

If you're really concerned about respect and professional recognition in the cold and harsh environment of corporate IT pinheads, learn Java or C++/C#. I personally prefer VB/VFP and probably always will. Life has gotten a lot sweeter for me as a developer since I started using VB and my projects have been much more rewarding. I have yet to work for a company where I'm not relegated to the role of maintenance programmer with VFP. I don't agree with this strategy but it's the way it is in 9 out of 10 companies that use the MS platform.

If you are determined to abandon VB then go ahead. But do yourself a favor and replace it with Java or C++/#. Throwing away VB/ASP etc. so you can solely use VFP is like shooting yourself in the foot (unless you LOVE maintenance).

-JT