>Some feel that the fact that VFP can create web services is the end of the story.

I think this is barely the begining of the story and the story has not really begun. We have a long way to go before reality sets in.

>For a 5 year period, MS as a company, did not promote VFP. If not for the community, this product would have died a long time ago. The fact that VFP is web-service enabled will not reverse the damage that has been done. I sense a bit of optimism - perhaps over-optimism. The fact that VFP is web-service enabled means one thing - people that use VFP may continue to do so in conjunction with their .Net efforts such as ASP .Net. Companies that do not use VFP today will not - all of a sudden - start using VFP because it is web-service enabled. I guess I am trying to temper some of the enthusiasm with a little reality. At the same time, I am trying to do what I can - as a MVP - to help "bridge the gap". Show VFP developers how VS .Net works - from a VFP developer's perspective. I am not advocating that people ditch VFP in favor of VS .net. Rather, I am advocating that people learn VS .Net and in turn, learn how VFP can work with VS .Net. And, if it happens to be the case that the VFP
>developer is prepared to take advantage of non-VFP alternatives - so be the case. In that instance, the developer is the big winner.

How true!

John;

An observation of mine is that as VFP X.X was introduced, developers found ways to do things not imagined or dreamed of by Microsoft. However, in many cases there were shall I say limitations to specific areas of technology. That is to be expected as the original product did not take into account VFP developers wanted to do everything VB and VC++ could do and more. To me it was as if VFP had some abilities but not a full implementation that was “required”. The “requirement” I speak of was the ability to stretch the technology envelope to its peak. It was as if VFP, VB and VC++ were “cakes”, but VFP had no filling or frosting. We were a “cake” in name only with reservations. VFP 7.0 is a much better product than the previous versions and that is to be expected. But we know it is not the only kid on the block.

Learning how to use the full Microsoft tool set has been of great benefit to me professionally. There are times when VFP, VB, VC++, Visual Interdev, etc. have been the correct tool to use for the job at hand.

I look forward to your discoveries and comments about the implementation of VFP and .NET technologies.

Tom