Hi david,

>So, in those cases where VFP is NOT that tool, you are out of the bidding, correct?

Correct. However I've got a far better chance of getting contracts if I mastered one than only beeing average in two. I got the impression that the emphasis is way to much on getting contracts. This assumes:

1. The contract, specifies which tool to use.
2. You make a living in getting contracting jobs

I think that by saying this you're excluding about 75% of the VFP community up here. Many are hired on a permanent base, write applications on a commercial basis, or have contracts of which the client really does not care in which language it is written, as long as the GUI is good and the tool does the job as required.

>With another tool in your toolkit, you have a chance to get that job or contract, so how can that argument be bogus?

This is only relevant if you're desperately looking for a contract. Personally, I've been working my but off for the last 5 years and it is only getting busier on the point I've got to hire extra personnel. This has very little to do with the langauge of choice, but rather the quality of work.

If you see your VFP dry up for whatever reason, your VFP days might be numbered. Personally I would see this as a challenge to see what I should do after my VFP carreer. I'm not even sure I'll stay in the IT business. Learning and mastering another programming language or platform might even be last on my list. Becomming a well payed database troubleshooter, system engineer, software designer, IT manager or whatever might be higher on my list.

>In fact, I'd say that in MANY cases, having multiple tools in your toolkit will open you up to contracts where multiple tools are required. (VFP and SQL Server, VFP and .NET, VFP and ASP.NET Web development, VFP legacy code and COM+ dll's, VFP and HTML, VFP and XML, VFP and Terminal Services or Citrix, VFP and Crystal Reports, VFP9 and SQL Reporting Services, etc, etc...)

There is a fine line between 'tools' and programming languages. I'd consider SQL Server, Crystal Reports, COM(+), Terminal Services, SQL reporting services but also protocols like XML, HL7, ASTM, RS232 communication more like tools to broaden your knowledge that are independed from your main development tool of choice.

However, if it comes to VFP and Winforms, I see little point in doing WinForms if I've got so much to do in VFP.

>Don't ever stop learning unless you plan to retire soon. :-)

True, but becarefull what to learn. Just learn enough, never too much.

Walter,