>>>>> I was suggesting that M$ go the other way: incorporate VFP's functionality into it's .NET family of languages. <<
>>>
>>>What is in VFP that isn't already in .NET?
>>Mike;
>>
>>1. Maturity.
>>2. Reliability.
>>3. Flexibility.
>>4. A proven track record.
>>5. Lack of "The Unknown".
>>6. Deployment of mission critical applications.
>>
>>Just starters. :)
>
>And an excellent start too, Tom.
>I've been reading up on ASP.NET (decided to start there (and end there for the foreseeable future < s >)) and the book I'm using delves LIGHTLY into ADO.NET. They gloss over (i.e. "beyond the scope of this book") it but mention that all such data access is DISconnected, thus raising the possibility of update conflicts. They say this but nothing more.
>It just seems to me that this simple fact is, in and of itself, material in changing design tactics from what is the more traditional approach.
>
>I admire people who are jumping into .NET with abandon but quickly get very skeptical when they (some of them at least) proclaim (or at least state) that they can easily write any application using .NET facilities.
>I find myself wondering how that can be when .NET itself is still actually at the womb stage of development (probably still doesn't yet have all of its arms/legs/fingers/toes) and also when it has taken me years, literally, to become proficient in any one of the languages that I have learned.
>
>I wonder what acronym, like "FUD", can be applied to all of this .NET newspeak??? Maybe we should have a contest to come up with one.
>
>cheers
>
>>

Jim;

I think it falls under the general term “Marketing”. Reality means nothing to a zealot marketer! Imagine working for the world’s pre-eminent software visionary – Bill Gates. You had better put on your Bill Gates “Marketing Hat” if you work for him. Be sure you have that sparkle in your eyes like a 5-year-old on Christmas morning under the tree.

Wow! This is so great! But what does it do! No! What does it really do! Now do not burst the bubble of that 5-year-old. Asking these questions will evoke tears or lies depending upon whom you talk to.

At some time in the future I expect someone with the knowledge and ability to communicate where .NET fits into the scheme of things will tell us the truth. As developers we need to know the abilities and shortcomings of the technology. There are many ways to create software and some are known to better than others. Trying to fit everything into one tool is not normally wise.

In some ways it seems we are going backwards in the software world. Take Visual Interdev and ASP. After working with VFP, VB and other RAD tools using a text editor or Visual Interdev seemed like a step backwards to dBase II. Code is created by the pound or ream. Is that progress? ASP has many limitations that are real. Enter .NET the solution with problems and the unknown.

Now with .NET we are told we have OOP. The “benefit” of thousands of classes is ours but where to begin and why? How does it handle data? What about comparisons with other tools for the amount of time and effort required to perform a given task? We can integrate VFP into .NET for string handling, etc. We have a Swiss Army Knife that has not seen action. How should it be used? That is not important as we are told we have to have this tool in the form of Visual Studio 7.0 and Visual Studio 8.0 will solve all the problems introduced by version 7.

If you use Visual Studio 7.0 chances are you had to upgrade your computer. That helps the economy as does buying Visual Studio 7. Everyone has money to buy what ever Bill Gates introduces. Do not pay the rent – buy software and upgrade your hardware. It does not matter if the new configuration does not work. Just wait for the next service pack or release of product to resolve such issues. Next figure out a way to make all the new toys work and get paid for your effort.

With the introduction of Visual Studio 8.0 I am sure that Microsoft will announce how great it is. It will require another new computer with more horsepower. I base these observations upon the last 12 years of the relationship of Bill Gates with the hardware world, computer users and software developers.

With each introduction of technology introduced by Microsoft we have seen some good things but it seems that the original technology is lacking and never proves to be the solution touted originally. After “hitting the wall” Microsoft takes a new path with even more enthusiasm and vigor while pumping even more billions of dollars into marketing.

This is all such a game and we are the suckers. We may as well be drug addicts as that is a good comparison in my book!

Tom