FoxPro - Termination for windows? 2

[MajklPan]

Microsoft FoxPro was officially discontinued in 2007, when it was declared a 'legacy technology' and was no longer supported. This means that Microsoft stopped providing updates and bug fixes for FoxPro and no longer offered any technical support for this platform.
I would like to ask what is the likelihood of FoxPro no longer being supported in the future and programs ceasing to function on a Windows update, and if you have any information on this so that we can adapt our programs accordingly.
Thank you for your response.

 

[Tore Bleken]

I wouldn't worry for the next 30-50 years. MVP Rick Strahl has written about this several times, at least to me his words carry a lot of weight.

https://support.west-wind.com/Thread5YZ172FPW.wwt#5Z40XEG0T

 

[MajklPan]

Okay, I just needed to make sure
Thanks for the article, hopefully it will be like this for a while.

 

[Chris Miller]

You can also always install a virtual machine. Seamless modes of virtualizing hosts (be it MS Hyper-V, Oracles VirtualBox, VMWare, Citrix and many more) can make it seem an application is running on the host OS. In that mode they make their own desktop window the size of the application window running within it, so you can even drag and drop from other Windows running on the host desktop.

Or you run your software on a terminal server basis, there always are solutions even if it gets to that point of VFP software not running on Windows XYZ some day in the future. People are still running FP 2.6 applications.

Chriss

 

[MajklPan]

Corporate computers do not have these options, they are centrally controlled and managed for security, and it would be difficult for the user.

Anyway, I wanted to make sure, or I read somewhere that soon these applications might not work, if Microsoft releases updates in the future that would have a significant impact on compatibility with applications built in FoxPro, there may be problems.
Thanks for the response

 

[Chris Miller]

Corporate computers do not have these options, they are centrally controlled and managed for security, and it would be difficult for the user.

Terminal Server would only be maintained by the IT or IOPS departments of a corporations, sure, but they do these things, also VMs, that's not at all a problem.
I said this already is used. And I have been working for companies in the top50 of the stock market and they do it.
Especially Terminal Servers are not a thing a hobbyist would do.

On top of that it's already done, if a business critical software needs to run, corporations will do everything necessary. Replacing legacy-based software rewritten in new technology is always something that's much costlier and all managements I talked to were interested in innovations possible with new technologies, but stuck to their old software anyway. It is much cheaper even in the long with costs like client license fees for terminal server, for example. But VMs also only have one-time costs or no costs, depending on what you choose as a basis. Hyper-V is built into Windows. License costs for MS SQL Server usually used in any bigger corporation that's basing their IT on Windows is higher anyway. And such costs also don't shrink, if they go for SAP. So this argument is quite ridiculous to me.

Chriss

 

[MajklPan]

I understand, but these things are not within my competence to solve, this is the responsibility of IT, I am dedicated to editing these programs...

I was asking if the ability to use these programs on windows will end soon, not how to come up with an alternative solution...

 

[Chris Miller]

You were asking about the future of a VFP based application, not how you yourself are involved. Yes, this surely isn't involving you, because it means the software runs as is and there's nothing to do for you. But it will still run as it simply means you revert the OS only for that one software.

People even run this strategy after its not at all advisable, just think about any news you read about ATMs running on the basis of Windows XP when we already had Windows 8.1. That indeed is questionable, but you can surely run even something unsupported as you (or your company) already does so with the VFP software itself.

Chriss

 

[MajklPan]

Thank you for your response. I understand that running unsupported software may still be possible, but it's important to weigh the potential risks and costs associated with such a decision. In the case of a business-critical application, the potential consequences of security breaches or compatibility issues can be significant. While reverting to an older OS may be a temporary solution, it may not be a sustainable long-term strategy. It's important for companies to have a plan in place for eventual migration to a newer, supported platform to ensure continued reliability and security of their IT systems.

 

[Chris Miller]

Just notice: When it happens, it's possible to run the application on the latest OS -1 version. Simple logic, it's the first OS not supporting the VFP application. And a Windows OS one version behind isn't a problem. You still have a long time frame to act.

Also, again, look, your company already does what you think is so critical. It's more critical to not have the software, obviously. A Server, also a Terminal Server can be picked to run this software without being a security threat to the company, as it can only serve this software only run for clients of the company network and not at all on the internet.

Besides all that, I'm talking about what management does all the time, disregarding our better advice.

Chriss

 

[Chris Miller]

Management will also always pick the simplest solution. If it is to introduce SAP or some other ERP suite that completely replaces the IT landscape of the company, and if it's just this one software you have, well, can you put it into any software category like POS system, document management, customer support, Order system, anything? Then there is other software replacing it and that's always cheaper than rewriting it. I bet there will be talk about rewriting this but no further acting in that direction, I've experienced this every single time, more than 10 times already.

Edit: I just remembered: Even in one case where the developer of the original VFP ERP software was still in it. It was just the case that went closest to the point it almost was done. But as it really was an ERP system, well, look at how many others exist. Even though the VFP system was tailored to that corporation needs exactly, it was not impossible to use other ERP systems and they also developed with features the company was initially missing and therefore started developing their own system. There always is a break-even point when your own software doesn't give you the advantage of not using standard software, as the competition does.

And even if a large migration fails, the management deciding for a standard that's implemented in other big corporations, they don't even get a scratch in their reputation as a manager, they may then just even switch to another corporation after that failure, as it all can be blamed to so many people down the hierarchy involved in such migrations.

Chriss

 

[GriffMG]

Some features of VFP have already been subject to M$ careless attitude, the general field issues caused by their taking away the original paint
package on W11

Regards

Griff
Keep [Smile]ing

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​

 

[tomk3]

Hello,

I would think of changing dbf to SQL-DB to prevent problems with oplocks,.. We had done that years ago and it is much less work then migration.

To stop VFP-Apps running on windows MS must kill the foundation of it (C++, but many legacy apps run on it) or specially prevent them from running.
Why should they invest time and money to do so, they just do not care on VFP since several years ?

And there there is VFPA and its C++ Compiler which can build a 32/63bit app with runtimes included which you cannot easily recognize as a VFP app.
To my opinion its legal to patch VFP, at least here in EU, but there are many posts on that.

There are other tools like Xbase++ which take the business logic and build .net apps and tools to put the apps on the web like lianja or AFP.

So for next 10-20 years : No problerm I think.

For long time planning
You should migrate. But to what (Python, JAVA, c# , go, windev, Ruby,....) ? The risk that a new technology is canceled by one of the big players (MS, Google) ist higher then the cancellation of VFP I think (Remember VB6->.NET).
And some things like execscript(m.cuserscript) are hard to do in some languages.
The migration we supported from VFP to .net some years ago was calculated including tests with 2 years (external company , 5+ very experienced programmers working on project), but took 5 years (was not cheap). Be happy that that is not your problem.


Regards
tom