Hi Malcom, > Are there any other efforts to port the VFP runtime engine to .NET or another runtime (like Java?)
I've heard of one other VFP compiler project in France, but I haven't seen any of it published yet. I haven't heard of any VFP runtime/compiler written in Java, although there are some Java companies out there that try to convince VFP developers about their tools, eg. www.servoy.com/foxpro. > Have any of you seen or done a comparison of the eTecnologia.net VFP .Net Compiler vs. Christof's Guinea? I'm probably not the best person to do this, but I try anyhow. <g> Both products aim at the same goal: Allowing developers to run VFP code without requiring VFP. Both products support developers staying in VFP as well as those migrating to .NET. Right now they seem to be very similar. However, the approach they take is different. I expect this to be similar to C# and VB.NET. In the first release they were literally the same products with a different name. But both took a different path making them look more different with each release. In VS.NET 2008 they really aren't the same products any more. The same is true for our products. VFP.NET Compiler is creating a new .NET language with tighter integration into .NET. There're new commands like TLOCAL or DEFINE NAMESPACE. It's meant for developers who want to go to .NET (learning the framework, etc.) but not learn a different language when doing so. If Etecnologia follows the current path I expect them some day to fully integrate into VS.NET much like various other .NET languages. The language will evolve over time with new commands added, moving away from the current (pure) VFP language with every release. Guineu is a FoxPro runtime. It works more or less the same way that VFP9R.DLL does, except that it is written in C# and therefore usable on all .NET platforms. The current release can create mobile applications for PDAs and SmartPhones, Windows applications, Linux applications, ActiveX controls, managed .NET libraries and SQL Server 2005 stored procedures. Guineu runs on 32 and 64 bit Windows natively, as well as on Linux and Windows Mobile. It should support the Mac as well, but I can't test that. The scope of platforms and targets is clearly beyond what VFP can do today, but the language is still VFP. You use the VFP environment to create Guineu applications. All Guineu applications compile without errors in VFP, so you can use VERSION() to branch on features that are only available in Guineu, such as Unicode support. Guineu targets the VFP developer who basically wants to remain a VFP developer, but needs new platforms (especially the PDA) and the confidence that their application will continue to work on new versions of Windows (beyond Vista) after 2015. You could see it from a different perspective, as well. With VFP 7 there was the dicussion wether VFP should remain in VS.NET or be an external application. VFP.NET compiler is what VFP evtually would have become if it remained in .NET (that is a managed language with native database support), whereas Guineu is what Microsoft would have needed to do in VFP 10 if they hadn't discontinued the product (that is, support of .NET platforms). Of course, that's just my personal, biased view on the two approaches. -- Christof _______________________________________________ Post Messages to: ProFox@leafe.com Subscription Maintenance: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profox OT-free version of this list: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profoxtech Searchable Archive: http://leafe.com/archives/search/profox This message: http://leafe.com/archives/byMID/profox/[EMAIL PROTECTED] ** All postings, unless explicitly stated otherwise, are the opinions of the author, and do not constitute legal or medical advice. This statement is added to the messages for those lawyers who are too stupid to see the obvious.
