PC / Mac Development

[AlanArons]

I expect to be writing a program in Vfox 9.0 for use on PC and Mac stand alone systems.

As I have historically stayed away from anything not PC,
what should I be considering as part of this? Do I have to develop these separately and please tell me I don't have to develop these on separate systems(That would make this one to walk away from).

Your collective thoughts are always appreciated.

Alan Arons

 

[bborissov]

You can't use VFP to do anything for MAC.


Borislav Borissov
VFP9 SP2, SQL Server 2000/2005.

 

[AlanArons]

That is not a good thing. Any suggestions about a language that will work on both, hopefully without a big learning curve?

Alan Arons

 

[Mike Lewis]

Alan,

The only way to run a VFP 9.0 app on a Mac is under a Windows emulator. I expect you know more about that area than I do, so will leave you to think about it.

However, if you can lay your hands on one of the earlier versions of VFP, it's possible to do PC / Mac cross-platform development. That's also possible with pre-Visual versions of Foxpro, such as version 2.x.

If you're accustomed to working with recent versions of VFP, you'll find developing with the earlier versions a painful process. (2.x is probably better than 3.0, but that's just my subjective opinion.)

Mike


__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Visual FoxPro tips, advice, training, consultancy
Custom software for your business

 

[Olaf Doschke]

Macs today are based on Intel (PC) Hardware. Thereofor you can not only run Windows emulaors, but Windows itself on Macs.

That still means there is no OS X foxpro runtime enabling cross plattform development, it's just that Mac hardware is able to run Windows nativley, so it's just running on Mac hardware.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[AlanArons]

So, I will develop the program as usual and stipulate that it can be run on Macs using OS X under with the Windows for Mac option. Sounds like something I can sell.

Thanks

Alan Arons

 

[Olaf Doschke]

No, there is no "Windows for MAC" option. It's simply MAcs bein PC hardware.

But the disadvantage is, somebody bying a MAC want to use Mac OS X and not Windows. He would need to buy a second operating system then.

You just can count some of of Mac owners to possible customers. You can't sell your program as Mac compatible, it will only run under Windows.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[AlanArons]

Thanks Olaf,

I will just bill it for Windows and let Mac people do what they probably already know how to do.

Alan Arons

 

[mmerlinn]

[&nbsp]

VFP 3.0, FP 2.5, & FP 2.6 are the only versions of FoxPro that run natively on Macs and ONLY on Macs that run OS 9.2 and earlier. Since that technology is over a decade old writing NEW programs for them is a waste of time. I still write FP 2.6 programs for my early Macs, but only because it does not make sense to port them over to a newer platforms.

So far as I know there is no other DB program that is cross-platform, so unless you use a MS emulator on the Mac, you cannot write the same program to run on both.

mmerlinn

http://mmerlinn.com

"We've found by experience that people who are careless and sloppy writers are usually also careless and sloppy at thinking and coding. Answering questions for careless and sloppy thinkers is not rewarding." - Eric Steven Raymond

 

[Olaf Doschke]

...just bill it for Windows and let Mac people do what they probably already know how to do."

Yes, that's it. I'd say there are very few Mac users you could aim for, that don't yet know they could also install windows on their hardware and would do that if they learn they can.

Because, well, wouldn't you like to use an application together with all your other applications instead of needing to shut the computer doen and reboot with the different OS to use the other program?

And that would only be possible with a virtual machine like Virtual PC. It also exists for Macs as Parallels, but that would mean bying Parallels, Windows and your app to make use of it on the MAC togehter with Mac apps like the graphic design tools from adobe, which probably are the most used apps on the mac.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[craigber]

Alan,

As others have said, you can't run VFP on a Mac OS. You can create a web site using something like West Wind, Active AFP, etc and then the Mac users can access the site through their Safari browser. Another option is to skip VFP and usine something like Mono that will run on Window, Mac, and Linux.

Craig Berntson
MCSD, Visual FoxPro MVP,

http://www.craigberntson.com/blog

 

[AlanArons]

Craig,

Thanks for your input. Have you used Mono? What kind of learning curve did you have?

I took a look at it and downloaded it. I will test it.

Alan Arons

 

[Neil Toulouse]

Would "FileMaker Pro" be more appropriate for your needs?


I like work. It fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours...

 

[craigber]

I haven't used Mono, but it's open source .NET so it shouldn't be too much different than what Microsoft offers.

Craig Berntson
MCSD, Visual FoxPro MVP,

http://www.craigberntson.com/blog

 

[Dan Freeman]

If you really want to do cross-platform, RealBASIC is an option. They compile one code base to Win/Mac/Linux very similarly to the way Foxpro did it back when.

 

[dbMark]

There is an open source WINE project associated with CodeWeavers (winehq.com). I don't know if anyone there has certified how well VFP works on WINE, apparently not.

 

[Nigel Gomm]

dbMark

I believe VFP works ok(ish) with WINE ...

BUT

the VFP8/9 EULA states that applications developed with VFP can only be run under windows.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/04/17/ms_legal_threat_derails_foxpro/

http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/6869

Does anyone else have updates on this?


Alan,

One other option to run a VFP app on a MAC would be for you to host the application on a terminal server and have the MAC connect using Remote Desktop. I've also done with this with an iPod touch.

nigel

 

[Mike Gagnon]

Here is another angle on the VFP/Linux issue.

http://interactionlaw.com/id12.html

Mike Gagnon

If you want to get the best response to a question, please check out FAQ184-2483 first.
ReFox XI (www.mcrgsoftware.com)