Open Source VFP Alternative?

[Michael42]

Hello,

Is there an Open Source alternative to VFP since MS no longer support it?

If not what have you been migrating your code to?


Thanks,

Michael

 

[Mike Lewis]

If not what have you been migrating your code to?

I'm not. VFP still works for me. Nor is the lack of support a problem.

Mike

__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Visual FoxPro articles, tips and downloads

 

[TamarGranor]

What Mike said. In 25 years of using VFP and its predecessors, I think I used Fox or Microsoft support twice.

Tamar

 

[Michael42]

Guys,

Wow thats incredible and a statement to how good VFP is.

If you were to have instances where you need to use say Oracle 11g\12c and 64-bit connections\apps what would you use?

BTW, I am a long time xBase user (dBase, Foxbase, Foxpro, Clipper, xHarbour). I also use VB6 and Python.

Thanks again,

Michael

 

[Dan Freeman]

I'm in the same camp as Mike and Tamar. Among other things, it took 25 years to create the enterprise I inherited. It isn't migrating easily.

We do use some C#/VB.net stuff (mostly web, but also standalone) for VERY tightly controlled situations. And we'll be migrating to an ERP system that "they" swear will replace our 15+ VFP applications and the mainframe REAL SOON NOW. (I suspect I'll retire here.)

And Tamar, I've called MS support about the same number of times. VFP support has called *me* more times than I've called *them*. (And I suspect you can say that too.)

 

[Olaf Doschke]

There are already many threads about this, not only here. In regard of what companies advertised their products as successor you'll find this yourself. Your decision depends on so many factors and your outset, that you can't really expect a recommendation. If you have a more concrete question, that would be fine.

The support situation surely is not the problem. Looking back at how many Foxpro applications still run in even older versions out of support longer, you can see that. But like any tool not enhanced you will get outdated sooner or later and get difficulties with interop.

I'm not that near to retirement to stay. A customer of us is migrating with their 20+ applications landscape to a standard ERP system, while their initial intent was to use best of breed software for the several portions of their ERP system. So we have an enterprise company as customer, a so called blue chip in the german DAX stock index, but you know yourself what range of software you can do with VFP, especially, if your customers care more about performance than user interface. I don't see anything replacing textboxes even in hundred years. You don't need many things for business applications.

Since we don't know what you'e doing with FoxPro and some key figures like number of users, database size and purpose/business it's hardly helping you, if I recommend something like SAP, does it? I can only say I'll leave and do something completely different. Since I don't own any product I'll offer my services, surely for anything on the topic of VFP, especially migrating applications and data. I'm more specialised on backend design and data migrations and API, than I am a frontend developer, a web designer or user experience (UX) expert, but I surely also gained enough project management and consulting skills to do small projects alone and cooperate with freelancers in larger projects. The split up with that customer is even more welcome than they think and I'll most probably quit before they'd like.

It doesn't have to be VFP for me, I can also implement and operate most any other databases and develop in PHP, HTML, Javascript. I don't need a VFP successor to get happy.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[Olaf Doschke]

Another take at this:

You see who's still here in a Foxpro forum. Three people staying with it and me being here for the fun of it besides still doing Foxro professionally, as the customer I work for isn't that agile to already have migrated. Some more like Mike, Tamar and Dan will follow, but of course you get answers biased to VFP. And if you'd ask at general developer forums nobody could recommend something just knowing you use VFP today.

If you really want to identify a good tool for you, I'd start from scratch and build up a decision matrix with the features important for you. That may not only compare programming languages, but also customizable software like content management systems. If you seek for employment you better have skills searched in the market and if you seek customers you need to address their needs, which rather have to do with their business than any programming language characteristics. You may end up with a niche product rather than some of the top languages, and that may even not be a language but a multi purpose customizable and extensible system. Some colleague of me is having a business around Joomla. Don't just concentrate on something similar to VFP. If you do that, you most probably end up with VFP.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[Dan Freeman]

Don't just concentrate on something similar to VFP. If you do that, you most probably end up with VFP.

That's a good point. VFP was already best-in-breed, but it's a breed that has gone away.