Can I run my FoxPro apps on a tablet?

[dmusicant]

If so, what tablets? What are the caveats?

 

[Mike Lewis]

Dan,

I have spent many (far too many?) years lugging a 14-inch Thinkpad through airports and railway stations. By comparison, a 7-inch tablet is liberating. But I wouldn't dream of using it for "serious" work. This is not a question of memory or CPU speed. Rather, I've found it impossible to do intensive typing - or even large-scale pointing and clicking - with a tiny soft keyboard and touch screen.

Even if I could run VFP on the tablet, I can't imagine typing large amounts of program code into it, not to mention copying and pasting text from many different places, running an app in one window with the debugger open in another, or many of the other things that I do in VFP every day.

Of course, your needs might be different than mine. If you just want to run an existing VFP app that doesn't require intensive keyboard or mouse use, you might be fine. Just don't expect to use it an alternative to a PC.

Mike

__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Visual FoxPro articles, tips and downloads

 

[Olaf Doschke]

You don't hold a laptop, you place it on your lap or knees, if not on a table. The battery of my nexus10 fades earlier than my hand begins to ache, so its fine from that perspective, but the uses are mainly for reading and occasional games. Internet browsing is something I seldom do with my tablet, only for a short search on something I don't want to start the desktop PC for, I haven't added a bluetooth keyboard, but I had a netbook beforehand, that weighed more but mainly the keyboard was too small to be helpful, so I still do more at a desktop/laptop than via tablet. It's fine for reading and music listening and watching tv streams, but not for writing code or even just mails.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[dmusicant]

My impression of this 10.1" tablet from reviews (and the ~16 minute video I just added the link to in my last post), the attached hardware keyboard on this thing is quite good and handy. Plus, it's detachable, so if you want to just read stuff online or watch a video, you could detach the keyboard. It weighs 2.1 lb, and with the keyboard detached, rather less. I'm thinking this does make sense for some around the house and for travel use. Traveling, I won't be coding, well not a lot, I mainly want access to my data and the ability to add data (type in more info). Watch the video, I was impressed. Well, this is attainable for ~$125 via Ebay, ~$132 via Amazon, maybe cheaper elsewhere.

 

[Mike Lewis]

Actually, I had a very similar machine a couple of years ago. It was an HP Envy, with (I think) a 10" screen and a detachable keyboard. I did find it quite useful on a two-week business trip, and it was certainly lighter than my Thinkpad. Also, it ran VFP with no problem at all. But in the end I gave it up. Even with the physical keyboard, I found it less than ideal for extensive typing. Also, it was my first experience of Windows 8, which I thought at the time was rubbish.

But I'm not sure if that's what I'd call a tablet. When I said that a tablet would be unsuitable for "real" work (see above), I was thinking of something like a Nexus 7 or a Samsung Tab.

Mike

__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Visual FoxPro articles, tips and downloads

 

[dmusicant]

Thanks Mike, and Olaf for the discussions.

Well, I went ahead and ordered this RCA 10.1" tablet. It's $118.33 shipped through Amazon after 10% discount by virtue of charge on activated Chase Freedom rewards card with the current holiday deal. I think I'll find this useful for traveling and likely for some usages at home.

Question: If you were to install VFP 9 on this, which add-ons would you install? On my regular PC's with tons of storage I just pretty much install everything, but I figure this with its 32GB total storage including OS, etc. I will want to be selective.

 

[Mike Lewis]

When you refer to "add ons", do you mean the optional items that are installed with VFP? If so, you don't need to worry. My entire VFP 9 install is only 120 MB. That doesn't include InstallShield, which I never use, nor the SAOP toolkit, but it does include everything else.

Unless you want to put a lot of other software on the machine - or lots of music, photos, etc. - I suggest you go ahead and install the whole kaboodle.

Mike

__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Visual FoxPro articles, tips and downloads

 

[Olaf Doschke]

I'm with Mike on this. The Soap Toolkit makes no sense anymore and you don't need Installshield on the tablet.
I don't know what else you talk about, there is a lot at Codeplex VFPX you might add, but it's no big load, too, but the bare VFP9 should work ok for mostly DBF work.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[dmusicant]

Sounds good. What comes to mind is a little free utility I use often, Agent Ransack. Windows search was driving me crazy until I found that little gem. I will install Agent Ransack. This will be my first look at Windows beyond version 7.

 

[Olaf Doschke]

>This will be my first look at Windows beyond version 7.
Well, you just skipped 8, you just skipped the version we all called rubbish at first look.
The truth is, you get used to everything, as soon as you can manage it.
I'm now used to 8 as well as 7, I also know someone cursing at OSX.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[dmusicant]

I also know someone cursing at OSX.

It's kind of funny. Having written a lot of code, I've developed a probably bad habit. If my computer doesn't do what I expect or hope for I blame the developers and curse at them. Of course, my judgement may be hasty. When my own code breaks I don't curse, I just accept that I have a bug there. If the bug isn't too bad, I will usually put off fixing it because I know the workaround, having written the thing. I do enjoy fixing or augmenting my creations, it's great fun.

I have no idea what to expect, what I'll get with Windows 10. I suppose I will be checking out some videos, tutorials. I was very used to XP by the time I started using Windows 7 and found many things aggravating in 7, still do. There are probably workarounds for those annoyances, but I haven't bothered finding out about them, mostly. I can always manage to do what I need to do.

 

[Olaf Doschke]

Just oone very useful knowledge, that isn't self explanatory: If you started a RT app there is no window frame, no close button at the upper right, no menu (mostly) and so no File->Exit option. You have to click somewhere at the top and then drag the app down to quit it.

Before knowing that you at least still have CTRL+ALT+DEL to start task manager and close the app or the windows key to get to the start menu. And Windows 10 has that start menu back, even though in the optic of the start screen introduced in Windows 8.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[dmusicant]

What is RT? I saw further up this thread references to Windows 8RT, so maybe it is that you are referring to. I suppose that was a certain flavor or Windows 8. So, you are giving me those tips in case I find myself using Windows 8RT??

 

[Mike Lewis]

Windows RT is a version of Windows that run on an ARM-type processor. It is pre-installed in some smart phones and low-end tablets. It does not support apps written for Intel architecture, and therefore won't run on PCs. Rather, it is designed primarily to run apps obtained from the Windows Store. In this respect, it is closer to Android than to Windows proper.

As far as I know, RT hasn't caught on in a big way, and presumably has an uncertain future (someone will correct me if I'm wrong about that).

Mike



__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Visual FoxPro articles, tips and downloads

 

[Olaf Doschke]

WinRT is short for Windows Runtime, a new set of API aside of the Windows(32) API we know as (mainly) the set of DLLs VFP DECLARE knows as the shorthand Win32API. WinRT is the new runtime for tile or RT apps, and is also part of the full Windows, but on ARM processors it's the only runtime, therefore no desktop on Windows RT and no Foxpro.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[dmusicant]

Received 10.1" RCA Cambio W101 V2 laptop/tablet yesterday, having pretty good luck with it so far. Don't have a USB DVD drive, but just set up sharing of a Thinkpad T60 DVD drive and am just starting the VFP 9.0 install by virtue of that share, over the wireless network. It's the very first thing I'm installing. Prerequisites first...

Not used to using a touch screen on a computer, I go instinctively to the trackpad. This will take some getting used to. I like the screen!

Should I install all/some of the .NET framework stuff?

Edit: I didn't see anything in the VFP 9.0 installation concerning the SOAP Toolkit or Instalshield. I basically installed everything, and to default locations.

 

[Olaf Doschke]

No need for any .NET framework for VFP work, neither an older nor newer version. Software needing other versions will install it.

What you have to install is MSXML4 SP2, search for it at MS. You can install it previous or after VFP installation. The message about the missing msxml2.document.4.0 class in the task pane then will go away, perhaps just after restarts and windows updates.

And no, don't install VFP into default Program Files (x86) directory, you'll get problems with fxp of prgs etc. going into virtualstore of your profile. Some things don't work, others will always be compiled, though they are already.

Use Win Explorer to create a directory eg C:\dev\vfp9 or c:\users\public\vfp9, later during installation type the directory in the dialog to choose the destination folder, you won't be able to navigate into C:\Users, as it's a hidden system directory, but it exists.

After you created the destination folder start the hta file of the VFP CD, nothing else. Autostart would start this, but this feature of CDs seems deprecated. This brings up the dialog for installation options.
Installshield: You don't need this, you can do inno setup, too, but Installshield is one of the installation points.

The soap toolkit install will fail, this is too old, deprecated. You might search the newest version at MS and install that.

Don't install MSDE. Don't install MSSQL on the tablet at all.

What works is the download of SP2, you are pointed to a still existing list of latest downloads:

https://msdn.microsoft.com/de-de/vfoxpro/bb190232.aspx,

the only thing not working is the ODBC download, it'll lead to a page pointing back to this downloads overview but no download.

You'll also find the hotfixes via google, just download the latest, first install SP2, then the GDI+ bugfix and finally the VFP hotfix. You won't find the ODBC driver, but you also don't need it. VFPCOM is very optional, if you don't know it now, you never needed it, XSource is fine to have, since it contains sources of several tools and wizards, Sedna AddOns is more likely to help, but as it addresses some Vista things it's also quite outdated.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[dmusicant]

Thank you Olaf. I guess I'll uninstall VFP 9 and reinstall it in accordance with your ideas. I let VFP install where it wanted to go but it didn't say \Program Files (X86)\ as I expected, what it said was \Program Files\. This surprised me, as Windows 7 had the former. I was aware that installing in the (X86) version could be problematical and would probably have prevented that. I let it go where it wanted because (1) it didn't say (X86) and (2) I'm still not clever with the tablet and getting things done in File Explorer on it isn't easy for me. However, I think I should remove/reinstall it. I managed to update to Windows 10 Version 1511 today and finish current Windows Updates. I should really have done that first thing. I'm just starting with this stuff. I just copied my Fox data from my network to the local machine, something I like to do. After all, when I take this thing away from the house that's the only way I'll have access to the data (as last copied to the machine).

One thing that has me confused is that the Foxpro files I copied from my network server to the local machine are 1.50GB, 1.55GB on disk. But on the local machine after copying it says in properties 1.50GB, 2.01GB on disk. I'm wondering why.

 

[Olaf Doschke]

The important part is not the X86, that'S automatic for 32 bit software, the important thing is not to install in program files at all, but in a public folder. VP changes itself in it's HOME() folder and you don't want that to happen in Program Files, as that redirects all changes and that doesn't work fine with many of the file pairs or triples of VFP like org/fxp, dbf/fpt/cdx.

So don't install where it wants to install. The setup was made at XP times, where you could simply change the Home() folder permissions, now we have UAC and file redirection to VirtualStore etc, it doesn't work fine with the program files folder.

Bye, Olaf.