Future of Visual Foxpro

Future of Visual Foxpro

• epsilon_ro

  VFP will be in production and supported to at least 2014, probably longer since this is such a well known language.

   

  
  
  

• Daren Coles

  I used to be a VFP-only developer. But with the advent of .NET plus user requirements where a web app is most appropriate, I started using ASP.NET. Now, I still use VFP for small to medium LAN based apps. I believe it still has its uses.
  
  

• Damien fromOZ

  Microsoft has already said that Longhorn Server will be their last 32-bit server OS.
  
  

• dilerabdullah

  I think the future is very bright. As I know FoxPro is a database and dev language purchased by Microsoft in 1992, and now known as Microsoft Visual FoxPro (VFP). It is very flexible and if you have a stable version I don't think you need to be served. Always exists solutions to resolve a problem and it run also on Linux OS so I think that all applications developed can run for long time. I have applications developed in Foxpro before 1992 and they are still running fine now.
  
  

• cdaviduik

  We have been a VFP shop for almost 10 years. It is a great environment for quick development and stable applications. That said, we're done with new development in VFP. Here's why:
  
  -The won't be a 64-bit version. In my opinion, this is the biggest end-of-life indicator for this product--even more important than Microsoft's support until 2014. Sure Vista and server 2007 have 32-bit compabitility mode; but I expect by the next Windows OS releases (3-5 years down the road), running 32-bit software will be a dying trend. Some larger companies may even have initiatives to run 64-bit software whereever possible. Why process 1/2 the bits at a time when you don't have to By 2014 VFP will be equivalent of modern day Cobol. There will be a bunch of legacy apps left that should have been converted years ago.
  -Have you seen the new .NET 3.0 stuff WPF offers extremely flexible anchoring capabilities--something that works okay in VFP, but not great. WCF Services offer new levels of sercurity and binding methods.
  -DLINQ and XLINQ. These 2 language enhancements are going to save .NET developers lots of time. Simple tasks will be simple code. Plus there is a tool that will build business objects from a relational database.
  
  Brian
  
  

• Paul Taylor

  Financial Investment companies here in the US often use the phrase "past performance is not an indicator of future returns". The same holds true with software. Just because old applications continue to run fine does not mean they will continue to do so in the future. For example, there are currently issues with FoxPro and Visual FoxPro running on Vista. I doubt Microsoft will go back and fix these issues with Fox versions that are no longer supported.
  
  

• sam2005

  Microsoft has never said that VFP.Next (Sedna) will be version 10. I talked to Alan Griver (yag) last month in Germany and he said the decision on what to call it or how to package it hasn't been made yet. My bet is that it will be more of a service pack or "plus pack" or "VFP9-R2".

  Also, Microsoft has stated that there are no current plans for anything after Sedna, but that's the way it's always been with each release. That the next version hadn't been planned, but there was one. My take on this was posted a year and a half ago. See:

  http://www.craigberntson.com/blog/2005/06/end-of-road-nope-just-bump.asp
  http://www.craigberntson.com/blog/2005/06/puzzle-pieces.asp

  
  
  

• Allan Huang

  This has been almost a touchy subject for me. I started using foxpro about 3 years ago and as soon as I really got into it I was hooked. When I heard that VFP was being "phased out", I was, to say the least, somewhat devistated. I keep hoping to hear that Microsoft has changed their mind and will continue to release new versions, but I'm not as hopeful as I used to be. I haven't personally dived very much into the new .NET world yet, but I see that it is the way to start heading. Not only is there less support and less forums and what have you, there's also quite a lot less VFP jobs out there and most of them that you do find is usually converting legacy code as opposed to creating new innovative apps. I'm not really looking forward to it (yet) but I'm going to have to start really delving into .NET - gotta keep up with the times.

  I did hear, though, that Microsoft was planning on releasing a version 10 as its final release, but that could just be heresay. Well here's to hopin...

  
  
  

• sjokkogutten

  >> Are you (and/or others on this forum) certain there won't be a VFP 64-bit version, verily
  http://msdn.microsoft.com/vfoxpro/roadmap/
  
  >> Are you (and/or others) certain 32-bit VFP software is doomed in 7 years
  To say I'm certain would be an overstatement. It's sort of a gut feeling comprised from the last 3 years of VFP-related information. There are almost no new books...there isn't currently a plan for version 10...the publication we were getting for over 7 years became redundant and focused on specific uses with limited use...the newsgroups I watch have slowed down to a crawl--sometimes no messages for a several days...etc.
  
  Another indicator--the Sedna code has to do with interaction between VFP and VS, but I haven't seen anything that gives VFP the ability to host managed code. We can access managed code, but we can't use the nice interfaces or benefit from the new controls. I think we're being quietly coerced away from VFP to VS. They're giving us tools that expose us to VS, but in truth they want us to see what we're missing. Maybe they're right. I haven't used VS enough yet to know for sure. I do know ClickOnce deployment is very nice. In 15 lines of code I can have my application automatically check for new versions upon load and update itself.
  
  My hope is that development time will significaly reduce and my users will still experience a signficant difference. My biggest fear is that development and/or training time will increase significantly.
  
  Best of luck to you in your decision.
  
  

• Stéphane Beauchemin

  bes7252 wrote:

  ...running 32-bit software will be a dying trend. ... By 2014 VFP will be equivalent of modern day Cobol.

  OK, I heard the same thing 5 years ago: "Drop VFP-5 and switch to Visual Basic" (which, thankfully, I never did).

  Are you (and/or others on this forum) certain there won't be a VFP 64-bit version, verily

  Are you (and/or others) certain 32-bit VFP software is doomed in 7 years

  I hope VFP stays robust and adapts to Vista's premium OS ... and would like to know if I'm chasing the wind.

  
  
  

• Tdar

  As far as Vista is concern, there is still hope of SEDNA update which will make foxpro interface similar to vista. Beside VFP will work on Vista (as 32 bit). But still we dont know what will be there after Vista. Last but not the least, second part of my original thread was - what next after VFP Which other tool give the same ease of development environment (keeping in mind - learning curve).

  Thanks once again.

  
  
  

• Asday

  ALL aplications made under Windows 95/98/nt/2000/xp...etc should work on Windows Vista without any corrections if Windows Vista is a serious operating system.
  
  

• Feng26

  I would think that the future of 64 bit is in doubt. With the fiasco of 64 bit hardware needing not only a 64 bit OS, but also 64 bit versions of software that often is not available, and were often a 32 bit version of the software simply won't run on a 64 bit system, 64 bit hardware as user stations may be doomed.
  
  
  

• Grant37

  "should" and "do" are two different things. Fact is, many applications have problems under Vista.
  
  
• Future of Visual Foxpro