>Hey all,
>
>The company I work for (a crop insurance concern) is in preliminary stages to settle on a toolset and platform for our "next-generation" systems (3-5 years out). Yesterday we had a meeting to discuss the first draft of a development tool criteria list. The list compared VFP, Visual Basic 6.0, VisualStudio.NET, and Java tools. VFP had been given the lowest rating in criteria "Vendor Commitment" and "Future Life Span of Toolset". Even Visual Basic 6.0 was a couple notches higher in those categories.
>
>When I asked about why VFP fared worse than what was essentially a terminated tool (VB 6.0), I was told quickly and unequivocally that the next version of VFP (8.0) would be the last version of VFP, and that 8.0 would be coming out in about 18 months (that sounded about right). Our top IT officers and some consultants (PlaNet Consulting out of Omaha, NE) who are helping out with the analysis had talked with Microsoft officials in the area very recently and had been told quite certainly that VFP 8.0 was the final iteration.
>
>With that in mind, it would be easy to see why VFP fared so poorly on some of the bullet points -- in fact, some may have been too generous. So, the bottom line (as always) is whether or not VFP is going to be discontinued. We have all heard rumors from consultants, other developers, the Gartner Group. etc. that VFP is not a viable position for the future, but I hadn't heard of Microsoft personnel directly, flatly stating that the next version of VFP would be the last.
>
>I don't know for sure what MS folks the gang spoke with, only that they were based in Omaha and that they weren't simply a vendor, but a true MS client contact. Ken L, if you are reading, I can get you e-mail addresses of our CIO, etc. so you can get more information and/or tell them the correct information they need to make this decision.
>
>I am not a VFP zealot. I like the tool and think it has a lot to offer, but if we decide on a different tool, that is fine with me. What I DO want is to have an accurate comparison among all the tools so that we make the right decision as a company.
>
>If anyone has any concrete evidence concerning VFP's demise (or lack thereof) I would love to hear it, and if anyone can speak with total authority, I might even ask that you drop a line to our CIO (he was all for getting the straight scoop on this and is open to direct contact) to make sure accurate information gets to the right folks.
>
>I can be reached at sutekh@dwx.com.
>
>Thanks for your time!
>
>Sincerely,
>Joe Kaufman

Joe;

I do not see how anyone can give you a guarantee of what products will or will not be on the market by forecasting the future of development tools. This sounds like the “psycho hot line” to me!

I do not know how Microsoft works but other major corporation’s sales forces work like this: The sales person sits down with the sales manager before the beginning of the year (fiscal or otherwise) and is given a territory and quota to sell. Anything over quota is worthy of a bonus. Sales persons have been known to sell his/her mothers soul to meet or exceed quota. Selling your mothers soul more than once gets you promoted quickly. Sales types that do not make quota go on to sell other things – pots and pans or whatever. It is all the same to a sales type. Truth and reality do not enter into the question.

We have the same and more problems of this type where I work. We have contracts with Microsoft for technical assistance, and use Visual Studio 6.0. I am not allowed to use Visual FoxPro at my place of employment even though I was hired for my background with VFP. We have something like 50 servers and 80 developers. With VFP “Out of the box”, I see less chance than ever before to be allowed to use it as a development tool. I am fighting city hall and paying the price for it – I will not win. Microsoft has told the company the same things about VFP – and it is not used.

If I could I would convince my company to upgrade to Visual FoxPro 7.0. I know they will not. Therefore, there will be 80 less upgrades for VFP from my company.

Thank God there is more to life than software development. Well, thank God that not all developers have anything to do but be involved with software. There is more to life than what this field has to offer!

Tom - in lovely Silicon Valley