FilePro running on Unix vs Windows

[Walter Vaughan]

Cindy Youngman wrote:
> My company, Floors, Inc. has asked me to research the possibility of us
> moving our system to a Windows based network platform. 
[..]
> Thanks a bunch,
> Cindy Youngman
> Systems Developer for Floors Inc
> (Division of Home Depot)

Well there's the end game. If I was whomever is VP Info Systems for HD 
these days, I'd insist that the data be stored in something that can be 
accessed by the J2EE-compliant application server tools that they seem 
to be fond of these days.

What good are you if I can't apply some SAS/PeopleSoft/SAP/Oracle module 
to your division if I need to?

If your application is mission critical to Floors Inc., then 
*someone*[1] needs to fund a version of filePro where the database layer 
is separate from the core language, and preferably where JDBC can see it 
natively.

AND include migration tools to re-write processing tables/reports to 
deal with any changes in the language.

Otherwise you're just spending your time worrying about a bundle of 
defective hardwood, while the "Huns are at the Gates" ready to burn and 
plunder all your lumberyards.

You have two responsibilities to your CEO... reduce costs and remove 
"tribal knowledge".
1) Reduce costs... by far filePro appears to be huge cost reduction. On 
the otherhand, there is a huge cost in making your data available to 
neural networks and data mining.
2) Remove "tribal knowledge"... that's the ultimate problem for those of 
us versed in filePro. We look like medicine men. Nobody is going to come 
out of any program or position and have tools at their disposable to 
actually make filePro do what they need to... no, they come to us and 
minutes later we have a report for them. From what I have been learning 
lately is that CEO's/CIO's should fire medicine men like me.

Enough rant.

It's just this topic is on my mind about 12 hours a day right now.

You need to find out the ultimate end result TPTB at Floors, Inc. want.
Moving from Unix to Windows is simply window dressing (or putting a 
second coating of polyurethane on the floor).

--
Walter
[1] not meaning you (but if the tile fits) :)