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Dave, PMFJI....

>At the 'microscopic' developer level I like how quickly I can build robust desktop solutions with VFP.

OK and ditto.


>However, VFPs revenue generating model is outdated.

What does this mean? And what has this got to do with how you can use a tool to build app's that you can sell or rent to your end-users?


>Macroscopically VFP does not work for MS.

I am not privy to the financial accounts of the VFP unit within MS. However, they seem to feel its worth it to keep developing new versions of it and releasing SP's, etc.


>I do not understand why people cannot separate one fact from the other fact.

Please point to some posts here on the UT where you see people not being able to seperate these two issues.


>It is not MS's job to provide me with a permanent income merely because I've given them a lousy $500 for the latest copy of VFP.

Please point to some posts here on the UT where you see people saying this.


>I wish VFP were not dying and then I would not have to go through the arduous process of learning C#.NET.

Learning is part of the territory. Buying and using even a new tool for your main dev tool requires learning. Integrating with third party products, eg Office, requires learning. Learning a new dev tool is also fine.


>But, do I possess the divine right of stagnation because I gave MS $500 for a copy of VFP 8 a year ago?

Who, besides yourself, has said this here on the UT?


>Developing a database solution and evaluating the software development landscape from a 20,000 foot level are two entirely different intellectual activities.

OK. I dont think anyone here will disagree. But so...


>If people were more objective in both areas they'd get off their duff and get down to the work of learning a new language. It really ain't that tough. You don`t need a phd in computer science to learn the .NET framework.

Once again, unless I have some sort of UT message filter on that I dont know about I do not read posts of people saying this at all, or anything to that effect.

What I do read is that pro-VFP users on a pro-VFP forum are still wanting to develop in VFP especially considering that VFP8 (plus a SP) was released this year(?) and VFP9 is to be released next year. So if the tool is still being actively improved (by MS) and actively promoted to work with other technologies (eg .Net) then why the rush to throw it out right now?


>Instead what we have is a group of people fighting a war that was lost a couple of years ago engaged in a siege mentality.

Yes, the death of VFP can be clearly traced all the way back to 1993. Thats 10 years of doomsaying. And VFP8 is here, and VFP9 to come. I suppose if one cannot predict accurately then one should predict often. Sooner or later you'll get it right.

Dave, imo this recurring and ongoing argument is not about pro-VFP'ers defending VFP against all logic and reason. This issue is about the 10 years of beating the VFP is dead drum, year in year out, all the while MS continues to improve the product and some of us continue to make money out of it. Well, the doomsayers can beat it just a little bit longer I guess :)