>That study disregarded the fact that Delphi and PowerBuilder both offer true objected-oriented languages, which everyone here states as a VFP advantage over VB. I see Delphi's approach to the table and query components as superior to VFP's database container.

That could be. I haven't used Delphi and PB myself, so I can only pass on comments from those that have. They tell me that VFP has a MUCH better OOP implementation than either Delphi or PB.

>
>First, you don't have to worry about hard-coded drive letters as with the DBC. The Borland Database Engine (BDE) can hit Paradox, DBase, Fox 2x, and Access 97 (assuming DAO install) data NATIVE. In fact, in a simple test against 300,000 records (300 + megs), the BDE performed a query against Fox 2x as quick as VFP with no noticeable difference. And the databound components refresh themselves as the record pointers move in their respective data sources. Yep, you don't have to remember to LOCKSCREEN and REFRESH everytime you move a record pointer in Delphi.


I don't worry about that with VFP either. It has never been a problem. Lockscreen??? It's built into my classes, so it is a non-issue as far as I'm concerned. Native data? The question was about client/server, so native data is a non-issue.

>
>Second, Delphi was built from the ground-up as Object Oriented, not as a second thought. The tables, queries, stored procedures, menus, and reports are all object based. VFP 5.0 has the same report writer and menu design as FPW 2.6!
>
>Thirdly, creating a SDI app is a snap. Don't have to set a form as top-level and free to move outside some Win 3.1 based MDI left-over. Don't have to include a Config.fpw file to hide said anachronism.
>
>You don't have to wait for VFP 6.0 to create forms that run in a browser either. That's been around since Delphi 2.0.
>
>So, VFP is more objected oriented than VB. But Delphi is more so than both of those MS products. VFP does excellent LAN based database applications, but it still lags behind other products in the OOP implementation and all the benefits that one can reap from it.

Can Delphi subclass ActiveX controls?

>
>By the way, why didn't MS push to include VFP in that study? Guess they didn't want to point out that VFP provides a more visual approach to data management and better cursor technology than VFP, eh? Also, VFP is OOP, but that didn't matter in that study anyway. Why not check out Inprise.com to see why they suggest Delphi over Powerbuilder or VB? The advice couldn't be anymore biased than what one finds here or at Microsoft...
>

Two reasons. It was an independent study. Any push by Microsoft would have made the results look like the Clinton administration had beeninvolved....read shady. Also, VB is Microsoft's thing. Including VFP would have made VB look bad.

>People should stop posting such questions here. They'll never get an unbiased answer. That should be a UT policy. But then I'll never get to follow these threads and see the lack of objectivity...

I have always been one that said "Use the best tool for the job". While I prefer VFP over other tools for database applications, I will other tools if they are a better fit. That seems objective to me.

>
>Regards,
>Jack Mendenhall
>Reinsurance Management, Inc.