One of the problems with COM is that it requires entries in the registry. A .NET application instead lives inside an assembly, which contains metadata (security, version and file information) about your application's EXE and DLL, and does not use the registry. Its kind of like a replacement for the registry. An assembly can be private, living inside of the subdirectory with your application, or Global to the machine. Because of this arrangement, different versions of your classes can live side by side, thus ending "DLL hell". Deployment of an app in .NET can be done simply with a copy command.


Ok, since I'm just learning this, and I've only installed VFP 7 last night my looking-for-the-quick-answer-question is: Can VFP do this? i.e. create and use assemblies that don't have to be registered. If not, is it something for the VFP 8 wish list? Or am I missing something here and *some* registration has to be done at *some* level?



>Look at Rick's aticle on .NET and web services http://www.west-wind.com/presentations/dotnetwebservices/DotNetWebServices.asp.


It's a long one too, but one of my questions was just answered: In the "Walkthrough: Creating Web Services with Visual FoxPro" article, it sounds like VFP web services still need COM servers at some level, yet Rick mentiones that wwSOAP doesn't need to rely on COM. Of course the Walkthrough also states that "You can use IIS, which installs automatically with Visual FoxPro,..." (which did not happen... time to get the W2K disk out)

So this prompts the question: Can/will VFP 7 play with .NET easily or is that something that we'll have to wait for in VFP 8?


I encourage you to learn all you can about .NET, because I believe it will be vitally important to developers over the next couple of years.


Ahh yes, I'm beginning to see that I would be foolish not to. Especially if it will help me utilize VFP in the ".NET world"

I'm probably trying to digest too much at once. Pacing myself could help. Mmmm, the thirst for knowledge...


Again, thanks to all for taking the time to responed. I know there's a lot of work that I have to do on my side to educate myself with COM, .NET, Web Services, etc. It wouldn't be fair just to come here and expect the quick and easy answers from those of you who have taken the time without doing work on my side.


- Brian