StevenCredible
IS-IT--Management
I've worked in I.T. for several years and now I'm interested in learning how to program, specifically in Visual FoxPro.
Can anyone recommend any good books?
Can anyone recommend any good books?
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New to FoxPro.. looking for a good book
- Thread starter StevenCredible
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Mike Lewis
Programmer
Hi Steven,
Welcome to VFP.
There are a few VFP book reviews on my web site ( but these are not the only books available. I'm sure other folk here will give you their personal recommendations.
Mike
__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)
My Visual FoxPro site: www.ml-consult.co.uk
Welcome to VFP.
There are a few VFP book reviews on my web site ( but these are not the only books available. I'm sure other folk here will give you their personal recommendations.
Mike
__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)
My Visual FoxPro site: www.ml-consult.co.uk
- Thread starter
- #3
StevenCredible
IS-IT--Management
Thanks for the response.
Anyone with a personal experience? I appreciate any and all responses.
Anyone with a personal experience? I appreciate any and all responses.
Dan Freeman
Programmer
Fundamentals:
It's written for VFP6, but the concepts still apply. And remember that URL: is the source for MANY great VFP books.
It's written for VFP6, but the concepts still apply. And remember that URL: is the source for MANY great VFP books.
- Thread starter
- #5
StevenCredible
IS-IT--Management
Will this book be appropriate for someone who has little to none programming experience?
Hi!
I can't speak for someone with no experience, but coming from experience from a long time ago, I agree with danfreeman on the Fundamentals and certainly the site.
Other than Fundamentals, the two books that help me the most are "Taming Visual FoxPro's SQL" by TAMAR E. Granor and
"The Visual FoxPro Report Writer" by Cathy Pountney.
As you gain a little experience, "1001 Things You Wanted to Know About Visual FoxPro" by Marcia Akins, Andy Kramek, & Rick Schummer is a must!
The wonderful thing about the site mention by Dan above is that there is a download section where several chapters of these books can be download free for you to explore.
And when you are trying something and have a question, post here. These 'experts' are wonderful, helpful people. I am not one of these 'experts' but trying hard to learn.![[smile]](/data/assets/smilies/smile.gif "[smile] [smile]")
Judi
I can't speak for someone with no experience, but coming from experience from a long time ago, I agree with danfreeman on the Fundamentals and certainly the site.
Other than Fundamentals, the two books that help me the most are "Taming Visual FoxPro's SQL" by TAMAR E. Granor and
"The Visual FoxPro Report Writer" by Cathy Pountney.
As you gain a little experience, "1001 Things You Wanted to Know About Visual FoxPro" by Marcia Akins, Andy Kramek, & Rick Schummer is a must!
The wonderful thing about the site mention by Dan above is that there is a download section where several chapters of these books can be download free for you to explore.
And when you are trying something and have a question, post here. These 'experts' are wonderful, helpful people. I am not one of these 'experts' but trying hard to learn.
Judi
- Thread starter
- #7
StevenCredible
IS-IT--Management
It looks a bit intimidating. It just seems to me like there aren't many books available for FoxPro 
You have to understand that Microsoft doesn't push Visual FoxPro as much as it does it's other languages.
With VFP you can spend about $600 on a license for a single developer and with its built-in database handling make unlimited programs to sell without having to buy anything more. But with C and VB.net and maybe others, it's so easy for Microsoft to also sell the corporate customers their $$$ SQL Server, etc. for lots and lots of more money. If you're a big corporation, no big deal. If you're a smaller programmer trying to write for or sell to smaller companies, then you like the cost savings of using a database structure that's built into the language.
Admittedly, the VFP databases can't quite compare to SQL Servers, but it does give you the best of both worlds: Use the built-in database structure or use VFP as the front end for SQL Servers.
Frankly, VFP will never replace VB or C or whatever their latest versions are called, but it is a great program nonetheless, fast, solid and reliable.
With VFP you can spend about $600 on a license for a single developer and with its built-in database handling make unlimited programs to sell without having to buy anything more. But with C and VB.net and maybe others, it's so easy for Microsoft to also sell the corporate customers their $$$ SQL Server, etc. for lots and lots of more money. If you're a big corporation, no big deal. If you're a smaller programmer trying to write for or sell to smaller companies, then you like the cost savings of using a database structure that's built into the language.
Admittedly, the VFP databases can't quite compare to SQL Servers, but it does give you the best of both worlds: Use the built-in database structure or use VFP as the front end for SQL Servers.
Frankly, VFP will never replace VB or C or whatever their latest versions are called, but it is a great program nonetheless, fast, solid and reliable.
The only books I ever needed came with FoxPro. They don't cover everything, but they are still overkill for most programming needs.
If you don't have them for whatever reason, watch eBay. FoxPro programs periodically become available, many times for very reasonable prices. I have bought several NEW still-shrink-wrapped-in-the-original-box copies of FoxPro for under $25. I didn't need the disks and such. I just bought them for the books as my originals are literally falling apart from heavy use.
mmerlinn
"Political correctness is the BADGE of a COWARD!"
If you don't have them for whatever reason, watch eBay. FoxPro programs periodically become available, many times for very reasonable prices. I have bought several NEW still-shrink-wrapped-in-the-original-box copies of FoxPro for under $25. I didn't need the disks and such. I just bought them for the books as my originals are literally falling apart from heavy use.
mmerlinn
"Political correctness is the BADGE of a COWARD!"
JimWWinter
Programmer
AFAIK, VFP has never included any books with it - just the help file.
In addition to the other excellent recommendations, I would add Hacker's Guide to Visual FoxPro 7 by Tamor Granor, Ted Roche, Doug Hennig and Della Martin. Whenever I need the nitty gritty of some command or function, that's the first place I turn to.
Regards,
Jim
In addition to the other excellent recommendations, I would add Hacker's Guide to Visual FoxPro 7 by Tamor Granor, Ted Roche, Doug Hennig and Della Martin. Whenever I need the nitty gritty of some command or function, that's the first place I turn to.
Regards,
Jim
Mike Lewis
Programmer
Jim,
In fact, VFP 3.0 to 6.0 all came with a pair of printed books: a Language Reference (an alphabetical list of commands and functions), and a Programmer's Guide (33 chapters on most aspects of VFP programming). I still use mine.
Come to think of it ... I'm wrong. In 6.0, the books didn't come with the package. You had to buy them separately. But they definitely did with 3.0 and 5.0.
Steven, if you can find the Programmer's Guide for VFP 6.0 (on eBay, perhaps, or through Amazon's out-of-print service), it might be worth picking up. Although it's a bit out of date, it is still a useful place to start.
Mike
__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)
My Visual FoxPro site: www.ml-consult.co.uk
- Thread starter
- #12
StevenCredible
IS-IT--Management
Mike,
I'm going to be starting in 7.0, will the "Programmer's Guide for VFP 6.0" still be useful?
I'm going to be starting in 7.0, will the "Programmer's Guide for VFP 6.0" still be useful?
Mike Lewis
Programmer
Steven,
Yes. Almost everything in the book will still apply to 7.0.
Of course, there's also a lot of new stuff in 7.0. Most of the innovations were in the area of programmer productivity -- things like Intellisense and additional editing tools.
Study the Programmers Guide, and use it conjunction with the "What's New" section in the VFP 7.0 Help.
Mike
__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)
My Visual FoxPro site: www.ml-consult.co.uk
Mike Gagnon
Programmer
Jim
{quote]AFAIK, VFP has never included any books with it - just the help file.[/quote]
You ae a "youngin'". Back in the "old days" (up until VFP 5 or 6) books ALWAYS with VFP. I still have a good chunk of them. Big box full of books and a small CD. VFP also was available on diskettes until VFP5.0. (VFP 4. only came on CD as far as I know since it was never actually released, but I have a copy of that too).
Mike Gagnon
If you want to get the best response to a question, please check out FAQ184-2483 first.
ReFox XI (www.mcrgsoftware.com)
{quote]AFAIK, VFP has never included any books with it - just the help file.[/quote]
You ae a "youngin'". Back in the "old days" (up until VFP 5 or 6) books ALWAYS with VFP. I still have a good chunk of them. Big box full of books and a small CD. VFP also was available on diskettes until VFP5.0. (VFP 4. only came on CD as far as I know since it was never actually released, but I have a copy of that too).
Mike Gagnon
If you want to get the best response to a question, please check out FAQ184-2483 first.
ReFox XI (www.mcrgsoftware.com)
Dan Freeman
Programmer
Mike, VFP4 never got out of beta before being renamed to VFP5.
Mike Gagnon
Programmer
That still does not prevent me from having it.
Mike Gagnon
If you want to get the best response to a question, please check out FAQ184-2483 first.
ReFox XI (www.mcrgsoftware.com)
JimWWinter
Programmer
Mike,
Actually, I'm not a "youngn" - my problem is old age and faulty memory. I'm pretty sure I've still got some of the manuals from FoxBase someplace at home.
Regards,
Jim
Actually, I'm not a "youngn" - my problem is old age and faulty memory. I'm pretty sure I've still got some of the manuals from FoxBase someplace at home.
Regards,
Jim
Mike Lewis
Programmer
I've got the Foxbase Plus manuals right here on the shelf above my desk. I even refer to them occasionally -- for example, when I want to know the syntax of one of those "backward compatibility only" commands, like @/SAY.
Mike
__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)
My Visual FoxPro site: www.ml-consult.co.uk
Mike Lewis
Programmer
Nro,
I agree with your recommendation for FoxTalk. I'd also put in a plug for FoxPro Advisor (or "Advisor Guide to Microsoft Visual FoxPro", as it now prefers to be called) -
In the early days of VFP, I learned more from those two journals than all the other sources together.
Mike
__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)
My Visual FoxPro site: www.ml-consult.co.uk
I agree with your recommendation for FoxTalk. I'd also put in a plug for FoxPro Advisor (or "Advisor Guide to Microsoft Visual FoxPro", as it now prefers to be called) -
In the early days of VFP, I learned more from those two journals than all the other sources together.
Mike
__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)
My Visual FoxPro site: www.ml-consult.co.uk
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