FILEPRO ON WIKIPEDA!!!

[Tips]

Well John, Let me try to explain my position with fox/filePro and why its
still important to me.  

I started using filepro back in 1983, and used it for years in my own
business creating my own accounting software.  This software runs on the SCO
Unix platform and has been very reliable over the years.  And I am happy
with that...  I have also found that from Windows 2000 and up, they are just
as reliable with same uptimes...

Then along came Windows which turned the world upside down with true drag
and drop, cut/copy & paste, easy for novices to learn, doing all the
multi-media stuff, hardware that installs themselves, plus all reputable
software companies were pouring all their cash into Windows software
development, and today that is why they have the lion's share of the market,
by far.

When Windows came along, I started playing with it and seeing all the cools
multi-media stuff, I wanted to make a database that showcased autos, boats,
planes, and most of the stuff that Trader magazines sells.  I knew that
would be impossible in filepro, and after trying 3 different Windows based
solutions and had to abandon them due to their shortcomings, I finally bit
the bullet and started using Visual FoxPro.  I had looked at it before and
knew it was capable of everything that I ever done in filepro, plus anything
that future could dish out.  I really put it off because on the rather long
learning curve (3-4 years), which is NO longer than filepro. 

Interesting on how I moved to VFP...  Because I was intimidated with the VFP
database language, I started out by using the database language that I knew,
which was filepro.  I done all the database stuff in filepro and exported
the data to VFP and used VFP's as a front-end to show the data and
multi-media stuff.  Then as time went by, I learned the database engine of
VFP, which quickly earned my respect. 

Why do I care about filepro, as I am seen by many as a filepro basher?

1. My accounting system is still based on SCO/filepro.  I would like to
switch from SCO to RedHat, but fpTechnologies is preventing me from doing
that with a steep switching fee.  I'd like to switch because Linux is now
competing with Windows and the software toolkit makers are now making Linux
versions of the cool Windows tools, which has opened up the whole
multi-media arena.  I don't have the time to re-write it, but because
filepro is not moving forward in at least the areas I need, I have started
re-writing it in VFP, and that would have been avoided if I could have
gotten good memos and a screen that can show more data.  

2. I still have customers that uses a specialized accounting package that I
wrote over the years for them.  That customer was my very first customer of
software services back in 1989.  That customer is now a 90% Windows
customer, where I fully maintain and service all their equipment.  Rewriting
it in VFP is being considered due to filepro's current limitations and lack
of connectivity to the Office applications, or really anything else.

3. I have 20+ years in developing filepro applications, and I'd like to
still leverage that knowledge along with new features that competes with the
other rads.  I NEED TO ADD VALUE TO MY CUSTOMERS APPS that were written in
filepro, so they are sure to keep paying my fees.  Currently, I cannot show
them anything in filepro that causes a WOW...  Its easy to do so in VFP...
The expression, WOW inherently has VALUE associated with it...

4. Having used filepro for 20+ years and VFP for 8 years, I can deploy an
application to 1000+ users complete with list/combo boxes, updateable grids,
screens and reports with photos with VFP in short order using terminal
services, which closely replicates Unix's ability to deploy to many users at
once.

You mention qualifiers and associated fields...  Both are features that I DO
miss in VFP, however both of their functionalities can easily be done
through the language with much more granular control.  You have microscopic
pixel level control which removes limitations...

One thing to remember is that filepro generically assumes a lot of stuff,
while VFP allows us the developers to make more choices, which in turn
lengthens the dev time on a refined app, but also gives us many more
options, so I guess that "more power" = "more responsibility"...

For all of the die-hard Unix folks, it is a myth that more money can be made
in Unix...  WRONG...  Windows has a far higher TCO (total cost of
ownership), but my friends, that is what the customers want, and I for one,
will advise the benefits and shortcoming of using each, but in the end the
customer chooses, not me, as I can support either.  Now, if you want to make
serious money, learn how to mix Unix and Windows together, as there are very
few folks that can make that happen...


Thanks,
Stanley



-----Original Message-----
From: John Esak [mailto:john at valar.com] 
Sent: Monday, February 06, 2006 5:53 AM
To: Tips
Cc: Fplist (E-mail)
Subject: RE: FILEPRO ON WIKIPEDA!!!

Stanley,
The list below is fantastic... in fact, it is really the best, clearest and
most un-disagree-with-able list of features I've ever seen. You and I have
discussed these very things in the FP Room long and often. They are mostly a
small subset of what FoxPro can do. There is no question that these things
are great and they would all be great to have in filePro.  However, let's
consider that many/most of these will not (ever) be available in the filePro
as we know it now... what exactly (if you don't mind laying it out) are the
reasons you still use filePro at all? (I'm assuming that FoxPro does all the
other stuff filePro does *and* these things below (as a matter of fact, I
know this is the case) so what keeps you using filePro for the
application(s) you still have running( I elieve you said it was your g/l or
a part of it. Could it be either qulaifiers or associated fields?  These are
the only two features I can see filePro has the FoxPro does not. If it is
not a feature or features, is it rapid development... filePro is faster than
FoxPro in this regard... I wouldn't imagine that to be true for programmers
equally versed in both programs... this should be reasonably similar. So
what keeps you wanting to help filePro grow into these other features... if
FoxPro already has them all? (and hey, there may be no good answer... just
curious.)

John


> -----Original Message-----
> From: filepro-list-bounces at lists.celestial.com
> [mailto:filepro-list-bounces at lists.celestial.com]On Behalf Of Tips
> Sent: Sunday, February 05, 2006 10:54 PM
> To: filepro-list at lists.celestial.com
> Subject: RE: FILEPRO ON WIKIPEDA!!!
>
>
> >> I don't see anything actually in error in what he wrote, based on what
> >> was posted on this list.  (I can't confirm that, because those lines
> >> appear to be missing from the Wikipedia filePro page right now.)
>
> Me too...
>
> Well, I read both the before and after articles and both are essentially
> true, with the latter more toned down.  I also went on and read their
> entries on MySQL, VFP, Oracle, DB2 and "Codd's 12 laws".
>
> I find that all the articles that I have read is really on-track and true,
> and they are calling it as it is.  Whether we agree or not doesn't make it
> true or not...
>
>
> Stanley
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Filepro-list mailing list
> Filepro-list at lists.celestial.com
> http://mailman.celestial.com/mailman/listinfo/filepro-list