Hi Venelina,
If I wanted to bring my old fpw2.6 app up to present hardware/OS specs how do you suggest I do it.Everything depends on what kind of application you will like to develop. Always first I try to clear the way in which the old application is working – database structure, data-flow and work-flow charts, user interface, etc. From this documentation and proposal send by client I try first to redesign data model, after that to define new screens and frequently executed operations. After that we build the framework. Usually we never begin from scratch. We have our own framework and depend on project we delete/add some classes. We made design of menu, toolbars and forms. After that we begin to transfer business logic from old project. Then we are distributing the work between members which will participate in development of the project. In most of the cases you can use old report, but may be you will create new queries for them.
Can I just re-build the project and re-compile the exe in vfp7 and allow it to run with the look and feel of an older generation of software?
This could be done, but I don’t advice you to do that. You will lose main advantages of OOP first. Second - in Win apps it is possible 2 – 5 FP with DOS design screens to be merged into one VFP form. Main advantages of my VFP application comparing them with old DOS design is that I can present much more information on the screen. New design of application grab the clients and users and they are ready to pay more than for DOS design applications. Adding Search button with Help_Screen can eliminate a lot of forms. When I make one of our first outsourcing conversions I lost a lot of time during first two months to persuade contractee to change some screens. When he got the first ready module, with Win design and showing it to his friends, they persuade him to make full conversion. After that, all next year he changes the design 4 times. Now his application is using CollBars like IE. He got a graphic designer. Now I even don’t wont to remember how ugly was our first design.
Or do I have to do major rewrites to get it to work. The fwp26 app has 50 scx files and multiple prgs. Obviously no forms or classes. Will it run under vfp7.
There are small difference in FPD and VFP command that’s why it should run under VFP7.