new features?

[Fairlight]

With neither thought nor caution, Jose Lerebours blurted:
> Last I looked at these products I thought that they would put any 
> filePro based application out of market range.  I mean, if you take
> 
> a) the cost of you developing/modifying the application
> b) cost of OS (if not free version of linux)
> c) cost of runtime
> d) cost of terminal emulator
> e) cost of gadgets from sound ideas
> f) cost of 3rd party applications needed to patch filePro apps with
> g) cost of anything derived from lacking portability and/or compatability
> h) cost of anything you can think of ...
> 
> When you add it all up, a filePro based application can easily start at 
> about $12K no matter how basic it is.

The cost of taking an existing fP application to web-based can be
significant as well, depending on the complexity and scope.  It's not like
web development is actually cheaper to do than something like Reface--if
anything, I suspect it's more expensive, as you're essentially getting away
from the normal program flow and core functionality, rather than
just...well, re-facing it.

> I can see those whom have filePro running in their business sticking 
> with it but I am having a hard time justifying a totally new application 
> to be developed in filePro.

I'd personally never recommend a new application be written in fP.  The
value of re-fronting it, either with Reface or with a web front end is
something one has to really evaluate.  And the tendency is to actually
underestimate the costs of doing so, but some of it (as I'm sure you know)
can get a bit touchy and odd things crop up that were inherently handled
by the core programs and you have to emulate it in something else, and
depending on whether you're majorly fluent in JS and DOM, the debug cycle
can significantly extend, and then you're over time and over budget.  Rule
of thumb: assume it is not inexpensive in any event, no matter what toolset
you're using.

mark->