>Hi All:
> I am trying to convert an application from Fox 2.6 to Fox 6.0. What is the best technique to convert the database and the screens to Fox 6.0?

Hi Mahmood,
There is a really nice tool called xCase, that will read in your Fox 2.6 data structures, and output a Fox 6.0 database structure. Can't remember if it does the converstion also. Make sure you get the right version (2.6 and 6.0). Note that the persistant relation code that it generates is held to be better that out of the box fox. F1 Technologies sells this product (http://www.f1tech.com)

I would advise you to make sure that your data is properly normalized at this point, since there have been advances in that area since your code was originally written.

While it may not be possible (and probably not advisable if it were) to just port your code, there are tools that help you to quickly design a full fledge robust application. I've found F1 Technologies Visual FoxExpress to be quite helpful. There is a pretty good book on it, and training available as well. There are other tools, listed at this site, all of which are an excellent deal, if you are faced with any rewrite.

OO may be a big pill to swallow, however, if properly implemented, it can realy speed up system maintenance...


>Also, what is the difference between Fox 2.6 database structure and Fox 6.0 ?
>Thanks

The file structures themselves aren't much different. The big difference is the DBC. That allows you to do all kinds of stuff you couln't before, but it does require a Primary key (with no duplicate values in it) on each table. You can keep your tables as free tables, to get out of this, but it's way cooler if you keep them in. For one thing, you can create queries in the dbc. That is, the (small) code sits in the dbc, and when you want to run the query, you open it like it was a table. You can write back to the tables the query is formed from, by changing the values in the query. You can design forms, and reports on the queris (called views now). All very cool. Much much more listed at http://www.stonefield.com and http://msdn.microsoft.com/vfoxpro/technical/articles/vfp7/default.asp.

This is only a small taste of what's in store. I would advise you to get some training tapes, or go to classes or fox user group meetings, before jumping in. The training will SAVE you BIG money along the way...

Don't forget the 7.0 will be release in a few days, I've used the beta, and it is worth waiting the few days or month till you can get your hands on it.

Daniel