MY Eyes have been opened

[Doug Luurs]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: filepro-list-bounces at lists.celestial.com 
> [mailto:filepro-list-bounces at lists.celestial.com] On Behalf 
> Of Anthony Terrible
> Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2006 1:36 PM
> To: File Pro List
> Subject: RE: MY Eyes have been opened
> 
> 
>   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.

Recommend Filepro .. I would.  It's a stable database with a LOT of
Power (If you know how to use it).

I don't know if you are referring to applications or the fptech staff
To add something to Filepro.  I can't speak for the later one, but as
far as making a application in Filepro, I can.  I've got our Filepro
System things that some people would say "how did you do that?".

As I stated in a earlier email on this subject, I have a 2D barcode
Reader / Decoder that I wrote in about 50 lines of fp code.  Nothing
Hard about that.  You need to know what the data string looks like,
And use INKEY to read it.  I've not found anything (and I mean that)
That I can't program into Filepro.  I just finished writing a
application
For our Purchasing Department for Quoting Pricing.  The thing is in
testing now, and It's already saving us money.

I've got some customers that have offered to buy our system from us
because their Oracle/Access/.NET application crashes, doesn't work the
way they want it to, or just is not cutting the mustard.
(btw.. These are not small companies .. These are International Multi-
 million dollar a year sales firms)

> Take just for instance Fptech saying they are working on 
> implementing XML. Well XML has been around for years and people have 

		<<SNIP>>

>   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.

While I disagree with you on the programming part, I do agree with you
On the speed of searches and fop being stagnant.  There are a lot things
that have been mentioned before and I wouldn't list them again here that
Could be worked on before ..say .. "Biometrics" as an example.  Nice
add-on
'toy' (Sorry Ken/Ray-That's what I think of it) as a add-on, but the 
time should have been devoted to improving the actual Fop product.  

My databases are getting quite large, and a faster indexing system would
be
Great improvement.

>   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. 

Sinking ship.  I don't think so (not yet anyway).  I just think the
Rudder is stuck and needs to be oiled.

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