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For sometime, I have debated calling post this entry. About a few months ago, I wrote nearly all of this article, then did not post it. So yeah, Im wishy-washy for this one. Since then, Microsoft has put plenty of emphasis on HTML5 and introduced Windows 8 plus the Metro UI, leaving a great deal of existing MS developers curious about the future in their previous technology choices. With that in mind, I think its good to think about Microsofts therapy for VFP and ways in which their decision processes operate in regard to development tools.
Can you imagine it has become over four years since Microsoft posted A Message to your Community and announced that Microsoft would cease development on Visual FoxPro? It may be over 36 months since Microsoft released VFP9 SP2 and Sedna, well as over six years since VFP 9.0 premiered! While I was saddened that Microsoft decide to cancel VFP, I appreciated the sensitivity the Fox Team, particularly YAG, showed for the Fox community. However, during the time, I wished Microsoft would've been more transparent and given an even more thorough explanation with their reasons for making that decision. YAG might have been constrained using what he could/should say in their position, and I imagine there is some disagreement while using decision inside Fox Team, but those are merely guesses. Regardless, we didnt purchase an official statement from Microsoft, in addition to it was happening, along with the Fox community still existed to patch together the reasons. That generated comments like writing for the wall, head within the sand and conjecture on insufficient sales vs. not enough marketing, etc. Ultimately, it comes down on the fact that VFP wasn't a strategic product for Microsoft, but why was that will what will it mean? Answers produce more questions, but I believe that is worth exploring.
Note this blog entry is only more conjecture/opinion. I lack any more facts than you choose to do. I am just putting every one of the pieces I have within the table and constructing a picture. Over the past few years, I have debated calling write this, because it's a negative subject and obvious flame-bait. But I think the required time has passed now and it also could be a advantage. To move forward, you will need to let go of the last, and this also has helped me accomplish that. I still use VFP as my primary tool, but it has helped me conquer Microsofts decision. It may also be of use in deciding the place you want to go inside the future. Now, I am certainly not defending Microsoft or saying I agree using decision. I am just attempting to understand why they'd make a business decision to discontinue FoxPro. Statements here can be obvious or old news, but I realize its helpful to pull all this together.
Enough disclaimers, lets get for the subject in front of you. Microsoft states for some time that FoxPro wasn't a strategic product for the children. What does that mean? To my mind, a strategic technique is one that Microsoft would purchase heavily and recommend as being the primary path because of their customers. MS would build upon the technology and form a whole strategy around it. VB was strategic. COM was is strategic. Fox hasn't been. Why not? To answer that, I think you have to consider why Microsoft bought Fox Software inside first place.
So, why did Microsoft buy Fox Software. I will quote a short article Jordan Powell wrote in FoxTalk when Access 1.0 and FoxPro 2.5 were gonna ship:
Microsoft was working on its Access DBMS which relies on a modern variant in the BASIC language. It needed been embarrassing for Microsoft to own such a glaring hole rolling around in its product lineup. They had no DBMS, and partnership with Ashton-Tate still did not get Microsoft SQL Server up and running. Some in the marketing types at MS pointed out that FoxPro was the very best version of X-Base in existence, along been attempting to talk Bill Gates into doing something concerning this. They knew how the X-Base language commanded an enormous segment in the market understanding that a product which used the X-Base language would buy them into the DBMS market in a very big way. They had the marketing resources to place behind FoxPro, and Fox had some intriguing, notable and useful technology - - as well as some very talented people, the type Microsoft likes.
The acquiring Fox Software for 173 million in 1992 was very strategic for Microsoft, the biggest corporate purchase Microsoft had ever produced up until this time. Borland had purchased Aston-Tates which included dBase III and IV, along Paradox. And growing in popularity at that time was PowerBuilder since the king of client/server tools, with Sybase releasing PowerBuilder 12 recently ironically based for the free Visual Studio Shell runtime. Microsoft needed three things through the Fox Software deal the Fox developer team, the Fox technology, as well as the customer business of FoxPro/FoxBase. Microsoft only agreed to be starting work with Access and that it was more targeting power users, but there seemed to be still some overlap. Visual Basic was still in their early days.
Basically, Microsoft wanted a stronger presence within the database market and they also were in severe demand for database products, people, and technology. Fox Software would have been a perfect fit for the children. To give you more context, in 1992 the xBase market used to be booming, Access Cirrus used to be in development, Visual Basic 1.0 was released and VB 2.0 what food was in development, as well as the first relieve SQL Server for Windows hasn't been until 1993.
I think when you asked anyone from the know at Microsoft, they might tell you that this Fox acquisition became a resounding success unlike other additional expensive acquisitions that Microsoft has now dumped. They got a great product, key technology that made its way into other products, and valuable individuals who went on for taking major roles inside the company. Why then did FoxPro not share that level of cla of success? I do not believe Microsoft had malicious promises to kill FoxPro from your beginning, though the landscape had changed, because it tends to accomplish in technology. The xBase market declined.
FoxPro was initially and foremost a competitor inside the xBase market. As that market declined, so did the need for FoxPro like a strategic product to Microsoft. What led towards the decline of an technology that ended up so popular within the 80s and early 90s? Technology trends are never stand still, but listed here are few key stuff that in my opinion diminished the xBase market:
dBASE IV: dBASE IV became a buggy disaster, and it absolutely was two years before they released version 1.1. Borland bought Ashton-Tate, but tend to not undo the harm. dBASE for Windows has not been released until 1994. This was perfect for FoxPro, which took over as biggest fish inside the xBase pond, though the pond itself begun to shrink.
Lawsuit: Ashton-Tate sued Fox Software for cloning dBASE. The suit was dropped when Borland bought Ashton-Tate, however it could not have inspired confidence within the xBase market.
Client-Server: By the early 90s, client-server technology acquired in popularity and developers were beginning flock towards database servers and client-server development tools like PowerBuilder and VB. At exactly the same time, Microsoft was wanting to enter the server market with Windows NT and SQL Server, so Im sure there was clearly strong emphasis for this style of development from their store. I believe there was clearly talk of your FoxServer product at Fox Software, nonetheless it never saw the light of day before the Microsoft acquisition.
Those are reasons how the xBase market declined, but about now youre believing that VFP is so additional than an xBase tool. I couldnt agree more. VFP could go toe-to-toe with VB, PowerBuilder, , as well as others. If FoxPro was expected to go quietly in the night, someone forgot to inform the VFP 3.0 team, simply because transformed the Fox in a full-fledged OOP development platform ready to the 32-bit world and beyond. So, why wasnt the emphasis there from Microsoft?
An important indicate make about Microsoft is they are a follower of development trends, not really a leader. With some exceptions the VB GUI designer comes up, Microsoft is not the one to generate a development trend. Embrace and extend was their motto, plus they have done well with this. Windows was Microsofts answer for the Mac. is Microsoft chasing Java into your enterprise. They follow current trends and so they do so mercilessly. Even now, Microsoft is emphasizing HTML5, leaving Silverlight developers thinking Wait, I thought we were about the cutting edge? It would be from character for Microsoft to advertise and strategize around a program built for an industry that was trending downwards. Its nothing personal from the Fox, its not in their DNA.
Even using the xBase decline, if FoxPro revenue had continued upward, I wouldnt be writing this post. Sales declined, high are several reasons behind that:
Power Users: Going the many way to dBASE you can question whether that it was a platform for power users with development capabilities or perhaps a platform for developers that power users might use. It was both. Visual FoxPro use it squarely inside the developer category, and Access took over because preferred database for power users. The result: much fewer licenses sold.
VB, SQL : VFP faced a great deal of competition off their products within Microsoft. With the emphasis always on the modern trends, many developers felt compelled to relocate to other technologies.
Visual FoxPro: Thats right, VFP itself. While VFP 3.0 would be a massive improvement in development capabilities and almost all of us are happy with this decision, it absolutely was also a big leap from FoxPro 2.x regarding learning curve. It took some developers a long time to increase the risk for jump, plus some never did.
Not Invented Here Syndrome: Microsoft took an incredible product making it it best of all, that produces their treatments for FoxPro all of the more frustrating. But Fox had been the stepchild and it had been never planning to supersede other products developed internally. By enough time Microsoft purchased Fox, they already made significant investments in VB, Access, and SQL Server. Those can be Microsofts strategic products while Fox would continue serving the declining xBase market and otherwise fit between lines.
People ended up foretelling the death of FoxPro since Microsoft bought in 1992. What made 2007 the entire year when Microsoft finally made a decision to cancel it? Had sales declined on the point that Microsoft could don't justify Fox development? Did they desire to use the Fox Team in other areas of Microsoft? Did big customers proceed to something else? Were the folks that cared gone or not in a position to complete anything regarding it? Your guess is just as good as mine. We will never know.
There can be a couple of ways to see this: 1 Microsoft always needed to cancel Fox and so they finally got their way, or 2 notwithstanding Fox not as a strategic product, Microsoft still create new versions for Fox developers. I tend to think about it since the latter. While there was clearly always an issue of Microsofts dedication to FoxPro, by the relieve VFP 5, it had become clear it would not be a strategic product. Per Ken Levys blog:
In the first years following the Fox Software merger, Microsoft put an enormous effort and several resources into creating VFP 3.0. There were about 50 people about the Fox team that has a big marketing budget. In the following years, both Access and VB grew in business and also competed in ways together with the VFP market and messaging, and because of the time VFP 5.0 was launched, many upper managers wanted Microsoft to simply end VFP there. In fact, they did for the short time. I was there, within a meeting with 40 people, and also the formal announcement was made for the Fox team that VFP was dead. It was very early 1996, which meeting lead on the Gartner Group releasing their report that VFP was dead, which have a major influence on future VFP sales.
Most of Microsofts competitors might have ended it in front of them and VFP 5 might have been the very last version. So, the actual question isnt Why 2007?, its Why not 1996?. Ken Levy continues:
But the Fox associates along using the community helped convince the developer tools management and keep VFP evolving while reducing the resources. In fact, the main reason VFP lasted another decade with 4 more versions released was more to do with Windows sales than VFP sales. There are many Windows machines running VFP apps. When Steve Ballmer jumps around like monkey boy and yells developers, developers, developers, hes contemplating selling Windows and Office a lot more than sales of developer tools.
If VFP 5 have been the last version, then I could have never had the practical benefits of dealing with Visual FoxPro, because I really didnt make jump from FoxPro 2.x until version 6.0. In fact, Im uncertain where Id be today, as I took my current job way back in 2000 to upgrade a Fox 2.x app to VFP. So, Im definitely thankful Microsoft saw fit to keep development.
That said, Microsofts handling of VFP support because the announcement is appalling. VFP 9 SP2 introduced several bugs. After months of begging, i was able to find them to fix one key bug, but others remain that may never be fixed and must be worked around. Microsoft claims that VFP is supported until 2015, but Im sorry, it is really not support. To be clear, Im not blaming the Fox Team just for this. Im blaming Microsoft with the fact that there were no Fox Team and management was unwilling to offer resources to mend these problems. Real support ended if the Fox Team was disbanded and assigned with other projects.
So, what now? Thats the important question Fox developers are thinking about or already have answered. I are unsure about you, but I still be extremely busy with Visual FoxPro as my primary development tool. I also track new technologies because they are introduced by having an eye towards where did they could benefit me. Maybe that may be the subject of the future post.
Why wouldone support VFP when you can actually sell a replica of Access to every single user while selling merely one copy of VFP to each and every developer the way to go from marketeer Balmer s viewpoint.
The canonical reason for it's always been that Foxpro apps sold copies of windows, not copies on the IDE
Hi, just ran into this randomly, except for heaven s sake, punctuate. We ve been doing the work for centuries. We re taught to get it done in grade school. It s done for any reason better to read and in some cases it wasn t it can make you look lazy and sloppy. Have you considered that of a potential employer googling a message would consider this?
Earlier this current year, your blog post was converted from Foxite s internal system to WordPress, and this also is the result. I haven t were built with a chance to mend it.
I happen to be a vfp developer since 1997, plus the cancellation of vfp by microsoft pains me. To me developers whether it be of vfp or another platform are usually left orphaned wen such cancellation happen, taking into account that they have big applications developed with this plaforms which might be running out there plus it will take a lot more than time and money to convert the to new platforms.
Thanks Joel, your reasoning of events is sound as I always felt MS i just want to cannibalize the Fox engine for SQL. I cringe everytime I have to write code outside VFP to take care of what VFP can do in the few lines of code. If anyone is applying or found a suitable alternative that they like, please post here. We keep use VFP 9 and MS-SQL, though the trend is to go I started using QuickBasic within the day, then VB to speak to barcode systems but neither were ever really created to do heavy database development, nor was Access Microsoft does a dis-service to your development community by axing VFP and desire Fulton never sold it in their mind. Sadly, no person has taken in the baton to hold it forward, delicious source code along with a cherished developer tool dies within the vine, while the vast majority of my colleagues have moved to Java. My two cents.
dBASE was exposed if you ask me almost 30 years ago during the early 1980s. I have already been developing PC applications for more than 20 years using dBASE, FoxPro and VFP5. I regret that Microsoft has not yet developed anything for me or another VFP developer to convert or otherwise help convert a VFP application into another language. As Microsoft Office will continue to evolve, my VFP5-based applications are not compatible with Office 2007 and beyond. I can not invoke an Excel worksheet and send data going without running shoes. Can anyone inform me whether this matter can be solved if I upgrade my VFP5 to VFP9?
Now how the PC companies are shrinking, Microsoft Access and VB will quickly become Not a Strategic Product. I hope someone will port the VFP engine to your Android system so my previous application systems might be ported to Android platform.
Since then, I have tried VFP 9 SP2 with Office 2010. The problem perceived to disappear.
or but you could possibly have discovered these already.
thanks for this short article, which makes lots of sense.
I are already a Foxpro developer for twenty years, and I want to stay a Foxpro developer for an additional pair 10 years. I have converted certainly one of my projects from VFP, and can refrain from doing so together with the other, big projects I work towards. Why? Isn t Foxpro obsolete? Isn t it the perfect time to jump the ship? I used to feel that myself but I don t anymore. The problem is, naturally, that VFP is just not being developed further by MSFT or whoever, where there are other, more sophisticated products. But I make a journey throughout the main other products. I have looked, Java, C/QT, and as well at pure HTML5/Javascript products. In Java, the problem could be the same: Nothing much happening anymore regarding desktop applications. It all can become obsolete, much like VFP. So why bother? The only promising tools I found are Node/HTLM5, Javascript/CSS tools. Also for desktop applications. That seems to be the near future. But it is usually to early now to embrace fractional treatments. Wait some years, then look again.
When I take a look at /C/Winforms program, which replaced hmo's VFP program, I must say, VFP is a lot more efficient. I need about half a dozen times as much code as with VFP to accomplish the identical. And: program is actually about as modern as my VFP applications. It is, actually, outdated, 24 months after it had been rolled out.
Also I don t believe anymore that MSFT will kill VFP in one in the next Windows versions. Win8 is often a desaster, and MSFT will avoid giving up any established technology that helps Windows. VFP and VB6 and all of the other 32-bit apps is going to be supported for quite a while. The hype about hand-held phones replacing fully sized computers will die down, because it is only not possible to achieve that. MSFT could even come to VFP, but I don t predict that.
Today VFP is still the top tool for database desktop applications in Windows when you use it with SQL Server inside backend. That s very easy to do, and give you a robust technology that may run on Windows for several years. Of course I would desire to change to a technology that actually promises more future than VFP. But my impression is the fact that that technology just will not exist yet.
Yes, the technology won't exist yet, and also a SQL is very easy to hack. Light Switch is far behind the VFP 9 technology. Im developing web applications and iPhone/iPad apps, however Im using VFP tables to operate this apps. They meant to make, and I think for not doing they can be putting vulnerable many large businesses that switch to SQL. Im repeating, SQL data is all to easy to hack can rival a local data VFP ORACLE
Hi everyone, I am using VFP9 and I frankly attempted to switch to your new Era, by trying MySQL as well as SQL Server, but very frankly i've found VFP far more powerful regarding an effective relational database that one could link to like a developer from every other RAD or GUI development tool to produce your user interface to generate modern looking and appealing.
In the regard of discontinuing FoxPro, I suggest for the class of globally developers for taking the responsibility to address the continuing development of VFP by themselves, like what Delphi developers did in Lazarus Free Delphi RAD.
Thanks Joel just for this most informative piece. There is often a proverb: THE FARTHER BACKWARDS WE LOOK, THE FARTHER FORWARDS WE SEE! In light of all development and also the cancellation of Fox by MS, your article is really a resource to anyone who really wants to think next 5 ten years as to what s most workable presently or perhaps in due course.
The things I miss most about FoxPro have there been very early: the Command Window, your data browser as well as the desktop. I think it s only a cognitive coordination thing but those three features made the gap to me. When I look for just a replacement for FoxPro those will be the things I am seeking first and I am not finding it. For example, the Visual Studio Command Window can be a weak thing.
The language used doesn t matter too much in my experience. I went so far as to own Fox run Perl statements on the command window and display the results within the desktop almost like they were Fox commands. Limited success but think of the power Maybe an improved programmer could fare best.
I hope some on the developers describing themselves as what Foxpro ought to have become be aware. If so, please study these 3 elements carefully. A lot of thought was put in making them, I m sure.
hello guys! good day! to any or all of you there, I was being an instructor pc subjects i taught programming i used Foxpro for 13 years, as it's a user friendly IDE and simple to understand the code, its object, SQL, plus the organization of panels are pretty understandable plus it has the bonus on vb with access, html. because, it incorporates them at the same time Foxpro, there exists database, SQL, programming software, with shell and GUI i am talking about Excellent software created on this planet. but it really gives me pain. when microsoft discontinue the item.
the idea i do think, microsoft seriously considered monopoly the program development thanks to your open source, i'll shift for them.
I am an Xbase developer from dbase III plus. I am still using VFP 9.0 now. Xbase language foxpro data cursor is perfect match to fit the majority of my supporting company is small business. Our industry is using a simple file server and under 20 PCs within a small LAN. I have tried in diff solution to suit our clients requirments, including HTML CSS SQL crystal report SQL, ACCESS SQL, JAVA etc. Those of them are an excessive amount of addon parties; I think you should all in one solution. Program code compiler report writer quick data handler input form simple programming language, much expected! I tried unix FOX 2.X, it is extremely great in text mode, it's free to under now. Therefore, I am eager for an open source VFP in future years.
I am a Foxpro developer, as I happen to be since 1991. I have had my grounding in dBase 111 Plus, Foxpro For Dos from 2.0 to 2.6, Visual Foxpro 6, 7, 8 and today 9. Visual Foxpro 6.0 and 9.0 are definitely the best with the group by far and away.
I still develop and utilize the product to engines like MySql.
I plan to push foxpro on the limit that will create data storage linkages along with other engines using foxpro because application development environment and report generation engine. Foxpro 9.0 has the ability to allow for your creation of classes to supply functionality for cross-platform access and manipulation.
Just planned to thank you for that great create. I have finally had the oppertunity to sleep at nighttime since I stopped supporting those named vendors. I retired last year and have not missed an individual day on the confusion and frustration brought about because of the product support supplied with the various vendors of dbms. I am sure there is often a special put in place Hell reserved just and justly for the kids. Thanks for that trip down memory lane.
4 thoz hu komplane bout speling an such: Who made you perfect?
Is still it possible for getting hold of VFP?
If you mean are you able to still buy VFP?, the correct answer is yes. Ask for the Universal Thread or perhaps your favorite forum for reliable places to buy, or you can find plenty on Google. Versions 7-9 can also be still contained in an MSDN subscription.
It is basically desperated while sometimes ago once i heard the discontinuation of services to VFP by MS. I am too a VFP lover within a long time run. My concern really matter when connecting to SQL server, i had to code extra lines. Guys, can t we generate a VFP community to get this message to MS like a matter of restructuring and also to see if any updates or maybe a new version of VFP to become launched to MSVS.
I think, it really is really a place of proper message delivery to broadband MICROSOFT to make a very new page of VFP version change.
I are actually developing in VFP because the 90 s and I made a denote upgrade to every latest version that MS released. I have also been down the need to switch path b/c MS stopped development. I tried, /PHP and used MySQL/MS SQL. I have circled returning to VFP each time. I am a database applications developer where there still today is no better tool than Visual FoxPro to build up our applications in. For modern interfaces look into ActiveVFP on VFPx CodePlex it is all to easy to setup plus it allows you to target all with the new devices using VFP.
My path through database land: CCA, Omnis, dBase3, Clipper Summer87, VFP6, VFP9, Postgres, now reluctantly SQLServer. A small VFP6 system I created in 1999 remains running. Today, after being retired for 4 years I went back in that old destination for a find it alive and well. In need for a few tweaks being fair. For example VFP6 will undoubtedly export 16000 ish records in xls format. Soon fixed by subdividing and filtering a tremendous archive table that was growing like topsy for fifteen years. In my defence, a greater system had been for the horizon to get a decade but never arrived to make improvements to my bespoke solution. When it finally does I might be confident that all of that preserved data might be unlocked effortlessly from a business standard file format except for how much longer?
I recently re-engineered something of mine from VFP9 to Why? Because of future maintainability and, it has to be said, because its a non-profit making application and cooperative development using a shoestring costs less using the free Express offerings. Faced with wanting to RAD a data heavy appplication in record breaking speed I d still choose VFP but, like parts in the anatomy everybody comes with a and Excel. A pal during my motorcycle club even heroically designed a serial comms driven timing results application in Excel. I thought of re-doing the work in VFP but sadly chosen to go with all the flow and VB. Give me an enormous text file of internet data in even only vaguely structured form though and I ll still utilize VFP9 to parse it into something meaningful.
Microsoft counted in your loyalty for them. That is why they thought we would discontinue VFP. Why are we discussing moving a lesser product to VFP9 for desktop application and database development, when these are cancelling his or her Microsoft VFP. Switch to Oracle or some other company if you need to send them the material of keeping VFP. I for starters always recommend non Microsoft products to customers. Anything from databases to software development packages I actually tell them don t choose MS, and I let them know about VFP. You will be surprised at the quantity of developers don t are aware of the VFP MS story. If an organization screws you over don t bow for many years and buy there next product. I use the two products, VFP was an A compared on the PRODUCT. VFP did things by 50 percent lines that you will need to save data for and code. It was an intergrated database, forms, and reports package everything in one. In all of my years I didn't seen an even better product for computer science than VFP and MS discontinued it. Like the Xbox vs PS switch if you wish to get there attention don t stay MS or they're going to do it to you personally again.
I discovered this seeking vfp 9 service pack 2, microsofts site wasn't responding. Glad to determine its still active. I have worked Foxpro since s its inception back using what the mid 80 s. I worked as being a system programmer to get a manufacturing company which in fact had written their whole operations system in Foxpro for Dos. which if windows 7 would run, I would nevertheless be using. Plain and simple foxpro worked and proved helpful. The version for Unix died pretty quickly, back within the 90 s I was obviously a consultant for an additional manufacturing company which was Unix based and hired me to rewrite their catalog shopping system. Loved the developers conference in San Diego when Microsoft introduced version 3.0 Boy was which a big deal, met some good people there. I started to work for any data management company and there seemed to be no additional options in our opinion. I still will get foxpro for windows to figure under XP mode in windows 7 when I need an issue that I find simpler to do inside the older version, but 9 is my normal every day db. I do work inside the direct mail industry therefore you constantly manipulate/format raw data for addressing variable printing and I cannot visualize any other product which would work this way. Some such as the junk they call access, I have never had time to stand it. Even our current mailing applications are borland dbase engine driven.! is for years. It is usually a shame that a person can t come out with a program that is near what even foxpro was not to mention visual. I purchased Alpha and it also works but I m addicted towards the command window as well as the ability to fit everything in interactive and require thinking. guess I am a dying breed.!
After a long time developing within the dBase IIIFPVFP world, I semi-retired about 4 years back. A year or two back, an appointment from a large company got me back to the workforce, as that they inherited a vintage DOS FP 2.5 app, which no person understood. Fortunately personally, the app, written back inside mid 80 s resembles a version of SBT Accounting, which I cut my coding teeth on, in the past then.
While a choice to replace this app remains underway, I keep keep this old girl ticking away they have it temperamental moments, with new versions of Windows. But, we manage and keep things moving.
So, as you move the Fox maybe dead, the legacy is constantly pay well
From a programming perspective, VFP 9 was which is still a terrific OO language to figure with. I ve dabbled in other people, but, like others have mentioned, the richness in the VFP language allows anyone to do things in the handful of lines, while others, call for a lot more involvement. For a minute mid sized business, VFP caters well to be a desktop app.
I desire to see others still running some DOS applications. I am not just a developer per say. I learned enough to help keep a SBT system going my employer purchased. And in the event the hardware cash registers we purchased for considerably more money compared to they should happen to be died I wrote our cash register program so we are still making use of it today.
I am being forced now to upgrade to Windows 7 32 bit and my Dos Foxpro software works okay in it. I were built with a little trouble with some on the Windows Software I wrote in Visual FoxPro5 when I did the exchange signal of Windows 7 but using the help of good people on forums I got all this ironed out.
I even found some software from Italy that works well great to capture the LPT out put to a windows printer plus it works Great. Its called Printfil and so they have a web site at I am not associated with them in any way aside from being a customer!
I planned to say Thank You to all or any you developers that take time to post stuff for many people end users who are merely keeping our old stuff running.
I was reading that VFP9 has some bugs, If I was hunting a newer version before they may be all gone would I be wise getting VFP6 and avoiding VFP9?
It s not easy to say what an upgrade would mean to your app, nevertheless for those individuals using VFP9, it really is clearly the very best version along with the most compatible version with Windows advancing. It could be more accurate to convey that VFP9 SP2 introduced a couple of bugs. That s disappointing, but I wouldn t call any of them showstoppers. One or two are already fixed via hotfix, for other people we have workarounds.
Like some with the other contributors, I retired a several years ago having grown from dBase 2/3/3 to VFP6 via 3 and 5. Most of my systems continue to be running without problems. I recently attemptedto extend a booking-in system in VFP6 using my windows 8 based laptop along problems seeking to change the frame size, so time for my old XP machine also now no more supported. Buy a latest version of VFP I thought then I came across each of the comments about MS stopping further development. Is it worth buying VFP9 anyway, can it run properly under Windows 8? How much would it be and where can I understand it?
You might first visit one in the FoxPro forums including Universal Thread, Foxite, while others to see whether they can recommend a solution in your problem with VFP 6. VFP 9 is definitely the top version of FoxPro, while retaining backwards compatibility, therefore it should run your existing code with few if any changes. VFP 9 SP2 included changes for better compatibility with Vista, which implies it also runs better on Windows 7 8. My VFP apps run fine on Windows 8.
VFP 9 comes in MSDN, but or maybe you can no more purchase it from Microsoft. Google turns up a few more vendors that sell it off, although I find the legitimacy of some online resellers questionable. I d go to a FoxPro forum to ask for just a reliable source.
32-bit is coming to a conclusion and in order that it seems is my VFP. I have several clients across the nation that have already been using my software for over 20 years. Virus protection can be vanishing into oblivion as well as the hype is perfect for 64bit and cloud. I have to find an alternative solution and rewrite Accounting and Points of Sale systems.
Win8.1x64 doesn't allow me to install VFP9 and I one has to operate with two networked desktops next to every single other to assist inside the translation process. The keyboards and mouses mice are forever inside wrong place. It is usually a nightmare!
Yes, I am also retired and also over 65 and have absolutely moved from Basic for the BIOS with 48kb RAM/16kb Static and EMM s that pushed it to 640kb and NATURAL/ADABAS. I eventually got stuck on VFP and are already in love from the time that.
I fear that I will die before I can result in the transition into environment also it saddens me that your lifetime of effort and pride might be coming to a rapid end.
I herewith salute my fellow VFP developers and I share your enthusiasm for your product which had been well before it s time.
Thanks for ones comment. I m uncertain what your distinct issue is, but I am able to perform VFP 9 on Windows 8.1 x64 without the need of problems. I know 16-bit DOS/Windows apps not run on 64-bit machines, until you run them inside of a 32-bit VM like Windows XP mode. 32-bit apps should run fine though. You might visit one from the FoxPro forums to find out if your issue is usually resolved.
I learned to program with FoxPro 2.5 for windows last 1993. I still need the 600 page textbook though it s mostly deteriorating. I stayed with it every one of the way to VFP 7.0 but about 6 in the past I thought we would get my and found themselves getting work together with C. Along the way I learned SQL Server and HTML, CSS along with a little javascript.
Then about 5 years back I started a corporation and got much more severe about the Cloud using Amazon AWS. I were able to master JQuery and CSS3 and I m now splitting time between C, Java for Android, JQuery, CSS and MySQL/SQL Server.
I am extremely comfortable in every one of the above technologies but I can EASILY EASILY EASILY state that Visual FoxPro was the best possible development environment ever. It blew away VB 6.0 and access can be a sad joke of your database. I worked projects with VB/Access fifteen years ago also it actually enraged me that it had been more popular than VFP.
I lost faith in VFP if this did not embrace the online world. I learned ASP after which and I might have loved to own seen what VFP can have done with website design had they been given their druthers.
Quite honestly I believe Visual FoxPro may have changed the entire world had it been embraced by Microsoft wholeheartedly. These days I am in and away from databases and IDEs and also this and that will it s fine. I feel like I m from the thick of things and I can express myself in several languages. It also helps that earlier times year or so has really seen website design technologies get easier thanks simply to Chrome, Firefox and IE 10.
Web development was nightmarish only when because the tools for developers were so god awful but that is no more the case. We now have NoSQL for infinitely scaling simple data and fairly decent front-end tools. I am no big fan of and I do all of my web development using HTML JQuery. In fact I try to accomplish just about everything clientside right now. And I attempt to stay faraway from MySQL/SQL Server the maximum amount of as possible. I m not necessarily successful but I wish to scale infinitely and database sharding is usually a nightmare and this was one on the things that bothered me about VFP. It cannot handle big data.
I didn t really mind using SQL Server being a VFP backend but I just always wondered such a VFP Server could are actually like. Probably glorious if they might have maintained which; specifically in stored procedures. I still use VFP from time for it to tie whenever I have to cleanup dirty data and the like and yes it is AMAZING how soon my fingers begins pumping out code. I still remember the many syntax well my fingers do anyway.
I am glad I made the transition faraway from VFP when I did as I got a chance to finally go into heavy web design which I felt sheltered from around my VFP days. The web was sexy and well desktop database development; less. Well at least VFP was obviously a contender. I think everyone who had been lucky enough to possess a end in VFP will need to have done something right in the past life because VFP just had a whole lot good karma.
Goodbye VFP! I still miss you.
Thank you Joel and all sorts of other contributors.