Visual FoxPro

Microsoft Visual FoxPro ( VFP) is a 2007 discontinued RAD programming environment from Microsoft for data-centric applications. It is based on an object-oriented programming language (whose procedural basis a greatly expanded xBase language) and on a relational database system. In addition to classic desktop applications based on the integrated database system and server- and Web-based solutions are developed. Since early 2005, version 9 is available; Microsoft currently says to a product support for this version until January 2015; A further development is excluded by Microsoft. Microsoft introduced the MVP title "Developer, VFP " despite the discontinuation up to 2010, since January 2011, this division is taken out of the MVP program.

As before, there is an active developer community around the world. Among the most important current VFP extensions for by the developer community is certainly one developed by Christof Wollenhaupt Runtime module Guineu that executes the bytecode compiled VFP programs using the NET environment. .

History

Visual FoxPro emerged from the first developed in 1984 as a competitor to dBASE FoxBASE. This was later marketed under the name FoxPro and had options for the operating systems DOS, Xenix or SCO UNIX, Windows and one for Mac. It was thus also on other operating systems run, for there were no specific versions, such as OS / 2 or Linux. The product was acquired in 1992 by Microsoft and delivered as of 1995 with the version number 3.0 as object-oriented 32 -bit Windows version called Visual FoxPro. It is the last tool that has a significant market share and has a long-term development by Microsoft enjoys in the field of in the 1980s and 1990s, very popular PC database systems. DBF tables.

Visual Foxpro consists essentially of the following ingredients:

• An object-oriented programming language ( which also contains procedural elements )
• One development environment ( with visual tools, editor and debugger )
• The integrated database system
• The report generator

As before extensions are offered by many (including German ) manufacturers.

Developed with Visual FoxPro applications can both work with the integrated database as well with SQL databases via ODBC and ADO (eg with MS -SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle etc.). The possibility for very fast processing of locally stored intermediate results using SQL and xBase commands is used intensively in the rule. Visual FoxPro supports widespread technologies such as SQL, HTML, SOA (Service Oriented Architecture), ActiveX, COM, XML, and Web services. For applications are no runtime fees.

In many large companies in Germany VFP is used. Different companies customized solutions and business solutions are developed and maintained for many industries.

The German -speaking community of developers to Visual FoxPro is very active. Annually in developer conference, there is a nationwide organized group of users, in addition found in some cities regular user meetings held.

Within many Microsoft technologies from Visual FoxPro to Visual Studio. NET and were taken to achieve here an improved development of data - centric applications with C # and Visual Basic. NET by the developer of the Visual Studio Data Group.

Similar products

• Silverswitch