>>>To the point, precice, and absolute correct. let them all 'jump ship' - sure puts a smile on my face!
>>>
>>I Double Ditto those remarks!
>
>Well, thank you. <vbg>

Thanks to both of you!
>
>>>
>>>>Greetings,
>>>>
>>>>I think one also has to look beyond just the VFP is dead argument. The truth is that fat client development is down across the board and is hurting not just VFP. Powerbuilder was the fat client of choice 5-6 years ago and now you don't hear much about it at all.
>>>>
>>>>You can also expect that VFP 5 and VFP 6 had much higher numbers because it was bundled with Visual Studio.
>>>>
>>>>To me the biggest question is what about the big companies like AccPac that depend on VFP for tens of thousands of critical accounting systems? Until these huge install numbers start dropping I don't see less VFP work. Particularly since many VFP programmers have jumped ship.
>>>>
>>>>If anything I would say the number of VFP programmers available has dropped considerably compared to how many companies have been able to get off VFP and onto something else. It's kind of like the developers have bailed on VFP before the companies even realized there was any concern.
>>>>
>>>>I know for me personally that VFP has gotten me in many doors because there just are not that many people that know it compared to how many businesses seem to have applications running it. In my area there are 3-4 great VFP programmers but probably 50-100 expert VB programmers. Yet if you look at the accounting systems in the area most are running AccPac, Account Mate or IAS based on VFP. Few run VB source code accounting packages.
>>>>
>>>>So at least in my area you have VB programmers fighting each other for non-mission critical projects that often get stopped as quickly as they are started. I'm personally not excited about the long term prospects of working in a company doing sideline VB projects when their mission critical application is Quickbooks.
>>>>
>>>>I guess what I'm saying is that I'd rather be developing mission critical applictions in 'dying VFP' than ancilary applications in the highly competitive .NET market. As long as you are developing mission critical applications I really don't think it matters what tool you use. Plus with less VFP developers available you become even more valuable to the company than a mission critical application in VB. A VFP programmer can confidently walk into the CEO's office and say you'll have a hard time finding a replacement for me. Not something a .NET programmer can do.
>>>>
>>>>The lack of competition among VFP programmers is a big upside. So rather than crying about some of the VFP guru's leaving; see it as an opportunty because they are certainly leaving plenty of mission critical apps in their wake that will need attention down the road.
>>>>
>>>>Greg