Hi Cecil,

I'll go inline here...

>John, it sure sounds like you have ProMatrix down and understand its capabilities quite well. I must apologize for my ignorance and my ability to be offensive to some.
>

Yes, I like to think I'm pretty good (ok, not great <g>) VFP developer. And having many, many years with ProMatrix (and loving all of it) makes me a pretty good source of inside PMX information...


No apologize necessary - I love talking about Visual ProMatrix and don't have enough time these days to do it. As of this moment, I have a Visual ProMatrix 7 application I am working on (my home business) for a company in Phoenix, that wants a telephone conference Wednesday to discuss time lines - and here I am on UT talking about ProMatrix (instead of getting back to work) - Life is good!


>If you were writing an application from scratch, and you had your FoxPro DOS version beside you, with all of your tables defined (as of the time in which it was all built in FoxPro 2.6 using Genifer)

Hey, I used Genifer back then. Also a navy framework I believe was called AppMaker about the same time...

> (continued) and all of the previous system documented with color layouts, would you use ProMatrix? I would expect that because you have been using VPM for so long that you would say, "Of course", but tell me why you would use VPM, if you would, please.
>

First, if the FoxPro 2.6 app was running well under Windows XP (my litmus test) and was still making money - I'm not sure I would rewrite it. I have several FoxPro 2.5 Dos apps at work that 24x7 kick butt and make money for the company and I have no intention of interupting there little money making lives <g>...

I am going to assume you _have_ to rewrite the app for some reason.

First, I like frameworks (some folks here would say it's a crutch of some sort - phooooyyyy). Frameworks allow you to move beyond the minimal requirements of a proffesional application and get into the business of solving the requirements of your clients...

VPME is one of the very best frameworks for the types of apps it assists with. I like to define those type of apps in the following categories.

1. Multiple users - Local VPME Database file served from a LAN. VPME probably (from my research in the past) is THE BEST framework for this type of application. Drive maintenance, user security, messaging services, it's all there...

2. Multiple users - Client Server with Parameterized Local Views to File Served Database on LAN. Since really VPME 6 and above, this is a really great framework for support of Local Views - highly integrated into the application.

3. Multiple users - Client Server - 3 Tier with SQL Server (or other) ODBC/OLEDB connections. VPME 7 has taken huge strides in this area. This is the environment that I most design in these days. VPME takes the Local View Support - and makes it invisible to the APP to substitute a Remote View in it's place - and still incorporate all of the tremendous features of the Data Dictionary...


4. Multiple users - n-tier with various clients (Web, Fat Windows Clients) - COM components for Middle Tier Business classes - SQL backend. VPME 7 isn't there yet for this type of application - honestly... They are developing (as all the frameworks are) a Data Server technology to encorporate these features - but are now only demoing this tech...

That said, I do it anyway. I have a couple of VPME apps that now are being fed from some VFP COM components that have specific duties. I write most of the COM classes from within the Project Manager in VPME - and really have no problems integrating this into my standard VPME work.

VPME also has a BuisinessClass structure one can subclass and enhance - but truly, we need the Data Engine that is being developed by ProMatrix.... It' s going to be WAY cooool!!!

So, don't know if I can answer your question if VPME is the correct tool. I can tell you that given your data dictionary, letting me cut and paste out all of your code snippets, letting me look at and run the legacy 2.6 app to see what it does, I could probably duplicate about 75% of the App with VPME 7 in about 5 days (I work nights <g>)... It's the 6 months finishing the last 25% (as I keep getting little things wrong) that I worry about <g>..

That should give you an idea how much of the work is done for you by VPME...

I have purchased Mere Mortals 7 - and setup everything, and played with the DEMO - it looks really, really good for what I am calling apps like number 4. above (great class design, clever use of Warehouse, ect...)...

hth

>I think what I don't want is a bunch of sales talk. I just want facts and I don't have time to sort through all the frameworks.
>
>By the way, I retired from the Navy Reserve last year and served as a Supply Corps officer, as well as a Marine Sergeant in Aviation Supply all the way back to 1972.
>
>Thank you for your time,
>
>Cecil

Cool,

Than you know what I mean when I say I Retired as a SKC/SS after 25 years Submarine Service (most recently with SPAWAR in San Diego)... Darn glad to be rid of those pesky Supply Officers (oops)...

Cheers,

John