Implementing visual 9....Data question

[dale3972]

Hello again. I am rewriting a multi database application in visual 9 from 2.6. A customer of mine bought windows 8.1 and needs the upgrade asap. No virtual PC or Hyper V so I told her I would stop what I am doing and complete the conversion.

Now, there are currently seven daily users that use that same 2.6 program running off a server. If I make no changes to the data, can I let her experiment with the new visual 9 I am working on with the live data? Will that screw everyone else up? Can 2.6 foxpro app and a visual 9 foxpro app run together at the same time using the same data is my basic question?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Olaf Doschke]

Yes. VFP can read and write to free DBFs, but also FOX26 DBFs. You will need to convert codepages back and forth, so you can assume there's some more work in VFP9 to do, than to recompile.

Win8.1 has HyperV. As always it's not installed by default, but in Programs and Functions can be added. HyperV needs hardwaresupport for virtualisation and the BIOS might have switched that off. If the compter really has no current hardware to support virtualisation that's the end of the story, but in general it works, I use HyperV machines on a Win8.1 client.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[Mike Lewis]

Just to add to Olaf's advice about sharing data ....

In general, if you create a table in Foxpro 2.x, you can read it and update it in VFP. That includes inserting new records, deleting records, and doing PACK and ZAP. Doing so does not prevent you continuing to use it in 2.x. So, on that basis, the data is completely sharable between versions.

However, what you cannot do is to make certain alterations to the structure of the table in VFP. In particular, if you add a field that has a data type that is "new" to VFP, or if you allow a field to contain NULLs, or if you add the table to a DBC, then you will no longer be able to open the table in 2.x

Also, when you open the 2.x table in VFP, you will be prompted to select a code page. If code pages are not an issue for you (which will be the case if all your data is in English), then you can issue SET CPDIALOG OFF at the start of your program to avoid the prompts.

Mike

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Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)

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[dale3972]

As usual, you guys are great. Thanks!