MY Eyes have been opened

[Anthony Terrible]

  I have participated and watched this list over the weeks and I'm sorry but 
it just seems comical to me. While I will admit that most if not all of you 
are better programmers than I, I can't for the life of me logically 
understand why anyone is still using or recommending Filepro. More then 
several people have said over the last few weeks that they are dropping 
Filepro and all for the same reasons, it hasn't kept up with the trends and 
most everything you want or need to do now is impossible or very difficult 
to do with Filepro. Take just for instance Fptech saying they are working on 
implementing XML. Well XML has been around for years and people have 
embraced the technology yet with Filepro it is difficult if not impossible 
to do. And when will you be able to have FileproXML? 1 year, 2 years? And 
where will technology be when it's ready for your use? Will XML be replaced 
with something better? If so, you'll be left in the past once again. Filepro 
is always playing catch up. By the time something is implemented it's 
already outdated and we're on to something bigger and better. We are all IT 
professionals. That means to me that we are supposed to keep up with the 
current technological trends and see where and how they fit in our or our 
clients business and what is the benefit for them if any. It is hard for me 
to believe that all the changes that have taken place over the last ten 
years that Filepro has not kept up with, that all of you don't need or 
wouldn't benefit from having or using any of this technology. Obviously 
there are some instances that the new technology isn't needed but I would 
imagine that in most business this just isn't the case.

  The arguments that all of you make of why Filepro is so good also make no 
sense to me. Most if not all only point out poor programming practices not 
about what the program its self is capable of. Let me just say there are 
millions of examples of poor programming and it isn't limited to Windows 
based programs or Oracle or MSSQL. Filepro has more than it's fair share or 
poor programming. Not one of you have stated anything that Filepro can do 
that can't be done using current programming languages and data bases

  You also make the argument of how fast it is to develop. I believe that's 
because that is what you know. It has nothing to do with the langue or the 
program. If you were as well versed in Pearl or PHP or any other programming 
language I think you would be just as good and as fast.

  I believe that Filepro limits you as a programmer and makes easy things 
difficult if not impossible. The simplistic programming language  is a 
hindrance not a blessing. As a programmer I want control over my program, 
not what someone else wanted or thinks I want.

  You all state how fast Filepro is. I  just don't believe it. I have run 
many many tests from drawing screens to doing data searches and Filepro 
never wins. Time and time again Filepro is slower in all respects even when 
it is running on a much faster machine. I challenge any of you to actually 
run tests and see for your self.

  My take on the letter from FpTech on the direction of Filepro is that they 
just sold you down the river. They didn't commit to anything or even tell 
you what direction they thought they were headed. But they did talk about 
Biometrics, that's where they're banking their money is, not with keeping a 
30 something database alive. I do not believe that Filepro has been good for 
us. We should have started moving away from it 10 years ago but didn't 
because of a fear of the unknown. Now that move will be even harder and the 
learning curve even greater. Filepro was great when it came out, probably 
way ahead of it's time. But it has long since become stagnant.

  Read the list, every day more and more people are saying their companies 
are moving away from Filepro. All the arguments in the world isn't going to 
stop that, only a change in the program will and like I said, I believe 
FpTech sold you down the river. I for one don't want to stay on a sinking 
ship.