OT: If I were to list what I've done with filePro & vent how I feel about filePro

[Richard Kreiss]

There is an advantage to running the *nix version in that one can push outputs and index (re) builds into background. 

One the other hand, screen design has native color. No terminal issues or permission issues with output or input files (as long as the ACL is correct.). More young IT people are very familiar with Windows and its issues. The biggie here is Management. Often they demand Windows environment as most of their applications are Windows based. 

As I mentioned, when I first got into this business, all of my client’s wanted DOS based systems so the could use WorfPerfect or Lotus etc. Rather then install a Novel network, I installed Citrix Multiuser. To me this looked like a *nix server. But ran FOS programs. 

Is Linux better?  It is probably more robust and needs less horsepower. However, there is more hardware out there today designed for a Windows environment. Mac OS is running behind that and lastly is the Linux environment. 

The scripting language is far better then the MS batch language. The native querying is better. However, IBM’s AS 400 print spoiler has a feature that I haven’t seen elsewhere. One could view a spooled report and search the report. This feature would allow a large report to run and be searched for one piece of data needed. 


The choice is yours except when the person paying the bills wants something else and says “my way or the highway”. We all need to earn an income and if I have to choose between getting a sale or earning nothing, I vote for the sale. I have now been out of the *nix market for almost 30 years. 

In all of my years in developing applications I gave only walked away from one client. He contracted with me to convert his Cobal based application to a Windows based application. I did write into the contract a $5,000.00 cost for me to look at his source code and see if Filepro could meet his requirements. It could handle everything but one primary function. So, I did some research and found him a program that could convert his source to one that was native to the Windows environment and build all of his screens also at a cost less the I quoted him at the start. I have no idea if he listened. 


In my early days of DOS I had to write my own print drivers so I learned how to program in Assembly language. 



Richard Kreiss
GCC Consulting. 
Sent from my iPhone

> On Mar 27, 2018, at 9:21 AM, Jose Lerebours <fpgroups at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Richard,
> 
> If fpTech had partnered up with ANZIO whereby ANZIO gets paid a share of the seats sold, the WIN to LINUX connection would be nothing at all - Even without them partnering up, WIN to LINUX based filePro is a daily thing.
> 
> Other than the cost of the telnet client, is there a benefit to running filePro in a native windows server?  As far as I know, all/most mission critical features in filePro are available in all OSes.
> 
> In fact, for people that use WIN, they would save $$$ if they did not have to pay WIN 20## license - come to think of it, that $$$ can be used to buy the LINUX server, more filePro seats and all of the ANZIO clients you may need; not to mention a nice backup system and the peace of mind of not having to patch your server every two or three nights.
> 
> We all have used this as a sale point, "no matter which OS you choose, your data can be easily migrated in minutes!"
> 
> 
> 
>> On 03/27/2018 12:56 AM, Richard Kreiss wrote:
>> What both of you are overlooking is the vast infrastructure of Windows.  I
>> have never liked networks but this is the area most of my clients wanted to
>> have installed.
>> 
>> MS DOS, Windows, Windows server NT, and the Windows Server nnnn.
>> 
>> Most of you *nix folks are running into Windows desktops rather than install
>> a GUI version of Linux.
>> 
>> IN answer to Mark's comment about filePro I/O, keep in mind this was written
>> overnight when Ken and a group of programmers were competing in a database
>> competition. The needed that functionality to compete.  I don't know if it
>> was ever improved after that week-end.
>> 
>> As for programmers beyond Ken, yes FP Tech does have others do development
>> work.  It would be fool-hardy to just have one person doing all of your
>> development.