[Wine] Re: Running Windows Database Applications

[Dave Crozier]

Matthew Reed said:

> Microsoft has made it quite clear that you can't run VFP applications on 
> non-Windows operating systems. They have in the past, and probably would not 
> hesitate in the future, to sue people that do so. Also, Visual FoxPro is 
> dead and is at the end of it's life cycle. Don't waste your time learning 
> it.

Mathew, please get your facts correct.

1. Microsoft didn't say to Whil Hentzen or Paul McNett that he couldn't run VFP
on wine. They simply said that VFP runtimes could not be distributed to run on a
"non windows platform". They didn't sue or take legal action against either of
Paul or Whil, simply stated the previous fact and asking the protagonists to
consult their lawyers re the Eula. The VFP Eula is no different to the EULA on
any other Microsoft product so running any other Microsoft produce COULD incurr
the same response from Microsoft. Unless you have very deep pockets though, or
get sponsored by a large organisation you wouldn't want to take the chance of M$
taking you to court, so that is the current situation.

2. VFP is NOT a defunct or dead product. The next release of Sedna will in fact
be supported until 2014 by Microsoft and the main additions to an already
"complete" language will be interoperability with the .NET framework, be it V1,
V2, V3 or any of the future versions that are going to manifest themselves -
just how long a shelf life do you need, especially seeing as how my applications
from the non windows dos days can be simply compiled in the current version and
run NO PROBLEMS. To me, that shows a mature sophisticated package with many
years life not a dead product.

3. VFP Developers probably have at their disposal the best desktop application
development language bar none and we have had it for a many years. It is the
rest of the application development languages that are now playing catch-up with
VFP - take the LinQ project for instance. Where do you think this idea came from
- VFP of course, and who are the chief developers in the project - well non
other than the main architects of VFP.

4. The VFP users/developers out there haven't given up hope of being able to run
VFP apps on Wine completely. In fact there is no problem in developing using VFP
on Wine as that doesn't contravene the Eula at all - the stumbling block is the
distribution of the runtime files with the finished application, but in time,
Microsoft might change their stance. In which case, look forward to the best
desktop development system appearing on a desktop near you and blowing the socks
of the competition.

In conclusion I really do wish that you guys out there in "ra ra development
land" would take your heads out of your backsides and realise that there is more
than one way to skin a cat.

Regards
Dave Crozier