dBase apps to Visual FoxPro

[geeksRus]

i have a chance to get a project converting dBase apps (old DOS apps) to Visual FoxPro. i have never used FoxPro, however i have developed apps in Clarion, Access and Visual Basic. i have 15 years experience in programming. how complicated is this conversion? will FoxPro convert any input screens from an old app? or should i just pass on this one?

thanx for any advice.

 

[rgbean]

Conventional wisdom suggests that you don't convert DOS programs to Windows directly. While most of the dBase apps may run under Visual FoxPro, it won't "look" very good, and it probably won't meet your user's expectation of how a Windows application should work. (Most DOS programs were neccesarily Modal - not event driven.)

If you have no VFP (or possibly dBase) experience, you're probably going to find a full rewrite rather daunting - unless you have some very good, close at hand support to get you though a tough learning curve.

Rick

 

[pxw]

hi,
I have converted several old DOS-based dBASE app using VFP, and I am still working on a few similar projects.

If your users don't mind to use the text-based interfaces continuously in Windows as in DOS, it will be okay. This is because the look of the app will be very similar. Then you can convert the these interface into graphic-based interface later on. This is the easiest way to convert the app using VFP.

To do the job properly, I agree with Rick. you may need some good and close support in VFP.


Peter W.

 

[DEDMOD]

Of course, a lot of people use this forum itself as their close support. Which I think can work if you're not afraid of asking a lot of dumb questions at first. But truly, coming from VB myself, it's not all that different in VFP, it's just like learning a new dialect.

Dave Dardinger