Visual FoxPro Stack
Visual FoxPro Stack
January 2009
Software components comprising the Visual FoxPro
Number 6
platform and ecosystem
1 VFPS
Ken Levy
Visual FoxPro Stack
Ken Levy
2 VFPX
The evolution and next phase of Visual FoxPro has essentially been
Using Desktop Alerts
transferred from Microsoft to the FoxPro community. Visual Fox-
Rick Schummer
Pro will evolve, but the results of its evolution depend on the ef-
forts within the FoxPro community. VFPS (Visual FoxPro Stack) 6 KitBox
can become an important part in the future and perception of Vi-
Take it up with Management
sual FoxPro starting in 2009 and into the next decade.
Marcia G. Akins
Andy Kramek
VFP Community Goals
10 New Ways…
To maintain a positive perception of FoxPro as a development plat-
From Type to Type
form, it would seem there are four key areas of the efforts: aware-
Tamar E. Granor, PhD
ness, education, adoption, and support. The VFP community in-
cludes websites, blogs, MVPs, vendors, content, events, and free 13 Best Practices
software such as what is included in VFPX. Some key areas for
Best Practices Part II
the FoxPro community goals might include creating momentum
Jim Booth
around the usage of free VFP tools, an increase in the ease of instal-
lation and updates of free VFP tools, and the creation of tools to 17 Extend Excel with VFP!
help VFP integrate with new technologies. There exists a stack of
Using a Visual FoxPro
components that comprise the VFP platform and ecosystem going
ComServer with Excel
forward. There are benefits to formally naming and defining that
(and other VBA applications)
overall set of software.
Rainer Vömel
LAMP Stack
In an article the April 1998 edition of the German computing magazine c’t, Michael Kunze authored an article
where he coined the acronym LAMP. The goal of the article was to describe how a free software bundle could
be a viable alternative within a market of commercial packages, with LAMP being a marketing-like term to
increase the popularity and awareness of free open source software.
LAMP Overview
LAMP refers to a solution stack of software: Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP (also, PHP can often be replaced
with Perl, Python, or Ruby). The acronym LAMP is used to define a web server infrastructure, define a pro-
gramming paradigm of developing software, and to establish a software distribution package. They represent
a solution stack of technologies when used in combination. There is no requirement to have all components on
LAMP installed, they can be used independently. Additional examples of software stacks include Apple Inc.’s
WebObjects, Java/Java EE, Grails, and Microsoft’s .NET architecture.
VFPS: Visual FoxPro Stack
VFPS is a Visual FoxPro Stack, an acronym used to define the key software components making up the Visual
FoxPro platform and ecosystem. As a starting point, below is a list of components that comprise VFPS:
Visual FoxPro 9.0, Sedna and XSource, VFPX, VFPY. Also included are VFP 3rd Party products including tools
related to .NET for Visual FoxPro such as VFP Stu-
VFP DevCon 2008 event in Frankfurt. Rainer and
dio, Guineu, .NET Extender for VFP, VFPCompiler
I shared time presenting the main keynote session.
for .NET, and VFPConversion.
In my part of the keynote, I included the state of
Visual FoxPro 9.0
the VFP product and community, future trends,
Visual FoxPro 9.0 will probably no longer be avail-
and how the community is in the driver’s seat with
able for sale after 2009 as a stand-alone shrink
respect to the future of VFP. I also mentioned how
wrapped product. VFP 9.0 will remain available via
VFPX and various .NET for VFP products are key
MSDN Subscriptions, and possibly through Select
to the overall platform and ecosystem for VFP go-
volume licensing. VFP 9.0 standard support ends
ing into the next decade. Rainer related the over-
January 2010 and extended support ends January
all messaging and points from my presentation to
2015. While SP2 is probably the last service pack
what was done with LAMP as a name and brand.
for VFP 9.0, there are continued hotfixes for secu-
Rainer asked me to write this editorial article, and
rity and Windows compatibility support. It is likely
it is my formalization of the results from my pre-
that a hotfix would be released by Microsoft if one
sentation and my conversations with community
is required for Windows 7 when it is released.
members there.
Sedna and XSource
Benefits of VFPS
Sedna is a free add-on package provided by Micro-
Having an umbrella stack for evolving VFP com-
soft and includes productivity and interoperability
munity components adds awareness and enhanced
tools. The key components are: My dot IntelliSense,
branding. Historically, PHP was not updated
Upsizing Wizard, Data Explorer, NET4COM, Vista
for years and version 5 was not all well adopted.
Toolkit, and DBi Tech Controls. XSource is all the
LAMP as a bundle and the latest version of the
source code to components included in Visual Fox-
stack is what people mostly focus on now, so the
Pro 9.0 that are written in VFP. Both Sedna and
latest version of PHP benefited from the branding
XSource licensing allows modification and redis-
and awareness of LAMP. While there will not be
tribution of changes and enhancements, and VFPX
a VFP 10.0, there is great benefit from enhancing
is the ideal umbrella project as a home for sharing
the mindset and perception by referring to VFPS as
updates.
the latest bundle of VFP related components. This
branding will often target businesses and decision
VFPX
makers of VFP based application development. For
VFPX is a Visual FoxPro community effort to cre-
example, “I look forward to the version of VFPS in
ate open source add-ons for Visual FoxPro 9.0.
2010.” And, “I expect the version of VFPS in 2011
The code, classes, and libraries are the result of a
to allow VFP development to be much more inte-
community-based effort to support and extend
grated the other products and technologies.”
Visual FoxPro. Anyone can participate in existing
and new VFPX projects for possible inclusion in the
Calls to Action for VFPS
community effort.
The VFPS wiki home page can be the continuation
.NET for Visual FoxPro
of this editorial article kick-starting the Visual Fox-
There are various resources and products focusing
Pro Stack. The primary calls to action is for VFP de-
on VFP developers learning .NET, VFP integrat-
velopers to review the VFPS wiki page as it evolves,
ing with .NET, and VFP applications migrating to
provide feedback and discussion around the evolv-
.NET. Some of the key efforts in this area included,
ing components of VFPS, and contribution to the
VFP Studio, Guineu, .NET Extender for VFP, and
VFP ecosystem including downloading VFPX com-
VFPCompiler for .NET, and VFPConversion. This
ponents, contributing to VFPX, and helping in the
is obviously an optional component of VFPS.
awareness branding of VFPS.
VFPS Home Page
Author Profile
Ken Levy is the president and founder of MashupX, LLC, spe-
I created a new wiki page online for VFPS, refer to
cializing in consulting for community building around prod-
the URL below. This wiki page hosts the definitions
ucts and services, guerilla marketing techniques, multimedia
and resources for VFPS, as defined by the VFP com-
creation, and software technology. Ken is a consultant for EPS
munity (thus a wiki page), and links to the various
Software as a community and marketing specialist, and the
components, products, and projects mentioned in
co-host of CodeCast a podcast show associated with CoDe
this article. Consider this wiki page the home for
Magazine. Prior to starting MashupX, Ken worked at Micro-
VFPS:.
soft as the product manager for Visual FoxPro, a product plan-
ner on the Windows Live Platform team, and the community
http://fox.wikis.com/wc.dll?Wiki~VFPS
program manager for VSX (Visual Studio Extensibility). Ken
History of VFPS
is a long time recognized member of the FoxPro community,
created GenScrnX for FoxPro 2.x and many VFP components
VFPS is an idea inspired by a long conversation
including the Class Browser. You can find Ken’s blog at http://
I had with Rainer Becker one evening during the
mashupx.com/blog/, or contact Ken at klevy@mashupx.com.
Page 2
FoxRockX
January 2009
