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Showing posts from January, 2012

Why FoxPro Matters: Development

Every developer has a starting point. It isn't necessarily the first time they wrote a line of code or the first computer they worked with. Rather, it's the first time they "got" it - the first time, they were able to put the separate pieces (the data, the code, the interface, the entire experience) together, not just for a client but for themselves as well. It's the light-switch moment - the kindling of the passion. Some developers write code their entire life but never find a connection to data. Others become pure DBAs - they don't write application code; but rather focus on how the database interacts with others. But most applications rely on the convergence of the two, the content and the delivery, to create the final solution. When I meet a developer for the first time, I usually ask what they like to work with, what part of the development process gets their juices flowing. This helps me identify the best method of optimizing their strengths. There ar

VFP ODBC Drivers - Argh

Looking for VFP ODBC Drivers can be a pain. I know they are only VFP 6 (talk about old) compatible but when you need to connect to VFP tables via ODBC, you need to find them, which can turn into an exercise in frustration. The Microsoft site itself says they aren't available and in fact, the only one you can find is included in an MSM (Merge Module) that needs a setup to distribute them. So once I found the MSM file for it, I created a setup for this (with some install notes for accessing it) which is available here . Microsoft may not care too much about VFP Developers any more, but there are enough of us out there to do so. FoxPro VFP