Re: An old Topic, VFP or no VFP

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"Christof Wollenhaupt" <msnews.microsoft.com.20050422@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in
message news:uR6lA$xEJHA.5224@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I'm not sure that argument will really stand. Imagine I've written a C++
application using the GNU C/C++ compiler in 1993 (which I actually did)
using some of the graphics, math, etc. libraries that were available back
then. The environment was a 32 bit DOS extender with SVGA mode UI. What do
you think, will I be able to compile this program today in GNU C/C++?

Compare this with the FoxPro DOS applications I've written at the same
time. They might not look nice, but I can use almost every single feature
from back then including for instance reports. Due to the feature set I
had to rely much less on external libraries in FPD making the transistion
easier. And since VFP 3 in the mid 90 I can more less use every program
completely unchanged.

I'm not sure the same would hold true for applications written in Java
1.0. Sun is even more strict in supporting Java. The only supported
version is the one released less than two years ago (Java 6). In the
course, Sun has changed the language many times and removed a bunch of
features.

--

You make a good point. While you were writing your GNU C/C++ apps in 1993, I
was writing in Borland C++ under OS/2. That is code that I'm sure won't run
anywhere anymore.

Meanwhile, the programs I wrote in dbaseII under DOS in the 80's kept right
on running. I probably could even find a way to run them today if I hadn't
moved them to VFP.

Still I have to think differently as a one man shop. When I wrote the
Borland C++ app I was working for a multi-national company. When they
cancelled the project after 5 years of development because they were moving
to a different platform, it was no big deal. The project was shelved and
people were retrained in the new system.

Where I am now, its just me and when I decide to hang it up, I need to be
able to find someone to take over and move forward. My employer really can't
afford to completely re-develop our systems. They have been developed and
enhanced over 25 years from humble dbaseII under DOS to VFP under WinXP.

I think I'll keep going with VFP because I imagine its got quite a bit of
life left and I can get thing done really quickly compared to other
technologies.

Thanks for the input.
Jeff


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