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>Let's say there was a VFP.NET language added to VS. And let's say various VFP-like data features were added to VB and C#.

But "various VFP like data features" have not been added to VB and C# now have they? That makes answering the question "Should I use VB.NET, C#, or VFP.NET?" easy - it is the same reasoning used to decide whether to use VFP or not as explained on the VFP website on MSDN.

All this other "if this" and "if that" and "what if" fluff are rationalizations after the fact, after the political/marketing decisions have already been made by MS.

.Net is 3 years old, I believe, and only now are MS building in "VFP like data features" into .Net. Why now? You had VFP all along. The bottom line is that for whatever reasons unknown to us MS have decided that they prefer to add VFP like features into a language that does not have it rather than port the language that already does.


>The answer would be "VB.NET and C# are more strategic and have more resources on their teams,

And this is the real reason imo. This is a political power game within MS. The VB team and C team have more clout than the VFP team.


>If there was a VFP.NET, it would not have one feature more than VB.NET. So why would someone want VFP.NET, what would be the benefit both technically and marketing wise?

This is all after the fact rationalization. The simple version of this line of argument is "if we build into VB.Net everything that VFP can do why would we need VFP.Net". Well duh! And you know it because you are way to smart to not know that.

Three years ago you did not have everything VFP can do in VB.Net (still not now). But instead of porting VFP, which is obviously and clearly a possibility, MS have decided to build VFP-like data features into VB.Net and then tell VFP developers that they dont need VFP.Net because VB has it!?

PS. Please do not take this post as arguing for a VFP.Net, which I am not. I am simply saying that I dont buy the line of rationalization being presented for the reason that there will not be a VFP.Net.

PPS. Could there be a "VFP 2005"?