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Fox Pro
- Thread starter Bob Maxey
- Start date
Me! Sort of. I used to use FoxPro [it was already in place when I took the job at the data processing company] and still have a copy of 2.6a--which runs great using DOSBox [on Linux, obviously]. Why are you asking?
My memory of its history is a bit fuzzy right now. I know originally there was Borland's dBASE, which morphed into M$ FoxPro, and then Visual FoxPro?
Can you imagine *ME* using an M$ product?! 
But like I said, it was already in place when I took the programming job at the data processing company. Once I got settled I brought filePro Plus, which was my DBMS of choice, on board. But by then I was pretty competent with FoxPro, and continued using it, too.
Bob Maxey
Android Expert
I am returning to Fox Pro after a long love affair with Access. I am installing Visual Fox Pro 9, the last release since Microsoft went Fox Hunting and killed it.
Ah, I see. If you need help...it most likely can't come from me! I'm way too rusty, plus VFP9 is way past anything I ever used, so it probably has a zillion functions I don't even know about.
SiempreTuna
Android Expert
Strangely enough, 4 or 5 years ago I moved house and found some old Foxpro diskettes in a box in the loft. I binned them thinking, there's a blast from the past that I'm never going to see again. 6 months later I started at a place that used Foxpro for a bunch of their key data feeds!
Unbelievable.
Foxpro was a dBase lookey-likey - they were always competitors. Foxpro was supposed to be faster but some of the syntax wasn't 100% compatible.
Whatever.
One thing: you really do NOT want to be using it now! I'd forgotten just how indescribably awful it was - Access is total pants (I say that as an RDB professional), but it's light years ahead of Foxpro.
I would suggest that you really want to leave the 90s behind and take a leap into the 21st century.
There are lots of really good RDBMs out there that are infinitely better - more flexible, more powerful, way easier to use and with way, way better compatibility. Plus a lot of them are free.
If I were you I would look at something like MySQL. There are OLEDB/ODBC drivers so you can write apps in VB (which you'll be used to having been an Access type) or even use web stuff like PHP.
Unbelievable.
Foxpro was a dBase lookey-likey - they were always competitors. Foxpro was supposed to be faster but some of the syntax wasn't 100% compatible.
Whatever.
One thing: you really do NOT want to be using it now! I'd forgotten just how indescribably awful it was - Access is total pants (I say that as an RDB professional), but it's light years ahead of Foxpro.
I would suggest that you really want to leave the 90s behind and take a leap into the 21st century.
There are lots of really good RDBMs out there that are infinitely better - more flexible, more powerful, way easier to use and with way, way better compatibility. Plus a lot of them are free.
If I were you I would look at something like MySQL. There are OLEDB/ODBC drivers so you can write apps in VB (which you'll be used to having been an Access type) or even use web stuff like PHP.
Bob Maxey
Android Expert
Actually, I do indeed want to be using it now. And I love the 90s. And the Roaring 20s. And I love 1880 as well. Don't need no MySQL.
and "infinitely better" might not mean anything. So there!
Seriously, it was never awful. FP is better than Access in many cases except one: MS killed FP and Access lives on. But I do not need support, so FP is still very much alive and it is what is right with the world, so there! Smiley!
And FP is in many cases faster, but my needs are for simple forms and two tables with very little data so who cares about speed. Unless you have a biggy with a million records than Access has issues. But I do not have a million+ records, so who cares.
I am recalling much of what I forgot, and I think it will work well for my needs. Besides, the little fox is a cutie-pie.
Never bash the Fox. Access is not everything and a bag of chips, so there!!! Smiley!!!
I have used FP, Visual FP and Access. I prefer a pen and pad of nice linen paper, thank you very much.
From: Databases Compared Foxpro, Access and SQL Server, Reasons to Choose
"Access is primarily aimed at the desktop, power user. It is designed for ease of use and not specifically as a programming development environment, although many complex business applications have been created using Access. Access databases are not well suited to high number of concurrent users, a maximum of 10-20 users is often quoted."
"FoxPro is primarily a developers tool used for small to medium business applications. Visual FoxPro can handle very large volumes of data efficiently but lacks some of the features found in top end databases such as SQL Server and Oracle. Microsoft FoxPro applications can be developed quicker than Access as it is a pure developer tool, but suffers from increased complexity and less widely used."
To each his own, the old lady said as she kissed the cow.
Bob Maxey
Android Expert
I think every software program has features most people will never use.
Consider VBA included with Office. You can write lots of apps with VBA and just in Office alone, you will find countless features most people will never, ever use. I suspect it is because they are not hell bent on adventure.
Even those using Word on a daily basis complain about Word and how Dyson it is. When the fact is, Word is doing exactly what it us supposed to do and people never no or care enough to change a few options.
Lots of stuff in Office.
Access is good, the mighty Fox is good and there you go.
SiempreTuna
Android Expert
Each to their own 
I guess I was assuming you were using it in a professional capacity, in which case deploying anything so out of date is a shootin' offence. Obviously, if it's for personal use, then it's whatever rocks your boat.
I guess I was assuming you were using it in a professional capacity, in which case deploying anything so out of date is a shootin' offence
. Obviously, if it's for personal use, then it's whatever rocks your boat.