| Abstract | | | | Database concepts at educational institutions and |
| I read an article on the Internet about what can be | | | | making sure people know that VFP educational |
| done by both Microsoft Corporation and Visual FoxPro | | | | licenses are available and very affordable. |
| programmers to give Visual FoxPro a new lease of | | | | Yet again another certification and therefore marketing |
| life! For example, that article suggested doing away | | | | ploy would be to certify VFP product sites as |
| with the Fox icon at the top of the Visual FoxPro | | | | ‘Powered By VFP’ or ‘VFP Enterprise |
| application window, reengineering parts of the FoxPro | | | | Approved’ or whatever you would want to call it. |
| application including doing away with the Windows 95 | | | | This would allow organizations that buy solutions built |
| dialog boxes and so on. This article seeks to contribute | | | | with VFP to be assured that they have received an |
| to the debate, suggesting additional ideas that the | | | | enterprise solution engineered to the highest standards |
| author considers to be critical to not only reviving VFP | | | | much as Lucent used to Certify networks sites for |
| but also in attracting new developers to VFP cause. | | | | their ‘Systimax’ Structured Cabling standard in |
| The author believes that a certification program (now | | | | those days. Of course anyone who has been around |
| discontinued for the VFP track my Microsoft) along | | | | would easily know that other cabling standards such |
| with a ‘Built with VFP Standard’ Logo are critical | | | | as ‘Belkin Structured Cabling’ existed but who |
| to putting VFP back on the map. | | | | was setting the pace and standards and why? |
| Introduction | | | | Who would administer such a program? |
| It is no longer news that Microsoft has announced that | | | | Efforts such as VFPx and VFPy have already |
| they will be no VFP10! Microsoft has since announced | | | | demonstrated the power that a community will can |
| that aside from support through 2014, they will be no | | | | bring to bear. The same spirit can be brought to bear |
| active marketing of VFP and Microsoft’s actions | | | | on the ideas contained herein. Perhaps, I will make bold |
| speak louder than words! In the interim, many new | | | | to say that the VFPx Team can be used as a |
| products and white papers have surfaced, advising | | | | ‘rallying point’ to nominate imminent members of |
| VFP programmers on how to make the transition to | | | | the VFP community with a sound knowledge of the |
| the .NET Framework as well as products that promise | | | | VFP Product technology line to administer a VFP |
| to let you code your application in VFP while compiling | | | | University Product foundation that could then oversee |
| to ‘IL’ – the primary executable language that | | | | or implement the ideas contained herein, perhaps of |
| enables .NET programs run. | | | | course taking care to structure the organization in such |
| Many Visual FoxPro Programmers have asked | | | | a way that it does not violate Microsoft’s |
| themselves what this means and what this will entail! I | | | | trademarks or copyrights but giving a new lease of life |
| believe that events have already answered this | | | | to existing VFP programmers while attracting new |
| question! Even before Microsoft announced their | | | | talent to take-up building solutions with VFP! |
| intention to stop making VFP, eligible members of the | | | | Since some of this programmers required to |
| VFP community had already started building | | | | administer this idea would be working professionals |
| enhancements to VFP with the primary goal of making | | | | working to make a living, the whose thing could be |
| VFP competitive with other contemporary | | | | structured still around the idea of VFPx, with a core of |
| programming languages. These efforts crystallized | | | | professionals coordinating everything, making sure that |
| themselves as VFPx and VFPy on Codeplex, | | | | certifications are properly gazette with both Microsoft |
| eventually forcing Microsoft to publish their own efforts | | | | and other professional bodies, while allowing VFP |
| (Sedna) also on CodePlex! | | | | community members to contribute their ideas and |
| Therefore it was with great interest that I read the | | | | thoughts on the curricular and other aspects of the |
| many opinions and ideas that VFP Developers | | | | organization to ensure that all certifications actually |
| have on how to improve VFP. While I will not dispute | | | | reflect trainings on current industry standard practice. |
| these ideas, I just want to add to them! | | | | The VFP University Product Foundation team could: |
| I believe that Microsoft’s strategy to ‘kill’ | | | | 1. Draw up curricular for VFP Certification examinations |
| VFP is simple – if VFP Programmers are give an | | | | and promote such certification examinations |
| ultimatum to change to .NET, and marketing, support | | | | world-wide through usual VFP Community site and |
| and further development/enhancement of the VFP | | | | other amenable technology sites |
| product line is discontinued then VFP programmers will | | | | 2. Publish Training materials that could be used for such |
| have no choice but to change over to VB or C# (i.e | | | | trainings and certification study programs |
| the .NET Framework). But as programmers, we must | | | | 3. Ensure that certifications issued are properly |
| ask critical questions! What are the critical | | | | accreddited with both Microsoft Corporation and other |
| performance benefits of non-.NET Framework | | | | industry standard bodies (whoever is taking this should |
| applications as opposed to .NET Framework | | | | know that it is worthwhile). |
| applications? Since the .NET Framework was touted | | | | 4. Appoint approved training centers world-wide that |
| as a platform independent solution, perhaps | | | | could offer such trainings |
| comparable to Sun Java’s Byte code, on what | | | | 5. Provide a means for such trainings to be taken |
| additional OS’s or platforms apart from Window is | | | | online (much as with other CBT offerings online) |
| the .NET Framework running since inception? | | | | 6. Certify and rate project sites implemented with |
| These questions enable VFP Programmers to realize | | | | Visual FoxPro to ensure that these meet industry |
| that there is nothing there are missing on the .NET | | | | standard practice and upon certification, issue an |
| Framework! (Don’t get me wrong! The .NET | | | | ‘Powered by VFP’ Logo/seal as a mark of |
| Framework is a great effort by Microsoft with some | | | | quality |
| truly great features and promises)! This means that | | | | 7. Set and Publish standards for VFP Programmers |
| since Microsoft has agreed to at least open-source | | | | 8. Provide a forum for publication of new case-studies |
| the VFP Environment, it will be up to the VFP | | | | for VFP Programmers and ensure that these are also |
| community to keep the flame alive, through | | | | published in other technology forums (not just the usual |
| advertisements. What form might such advertisements | | | | VFP ones). |
| take? | | | | 9. Promote VFP to educational institutions and |
| What can be done? | | | | foundation to use as a primary tool in demonstrating |
| One form would be through the publication of new | | | | Database concepts and teaching programming |
| case studies for Visual FoxPro based projects. The | | | | concepts |
| Web provides a ready medium for this purpose. | | | | 10. etc |
| Another way will be to produce a new certification | | | | The VFP University Foundation would just be just like |
| exam for Visual FoxPro programmers to replace the | | | | Oracle University or Microsoft University! Providing |
| Certification exams now dropped my Microsoft | | | | critical lifeline of continuing education on the VFP |
| Corporation for the VFP product line. To understand | | | | product line; doing what Microsoft is not now doing for |
| why this is important, consider for example, that if you | | | | VFP, just as Microsoft University does for other |
| were delivering an Oracle product, it would do you | | | | Microsoft products and Oracle does for the Oracle |
| good to be an OCP or ODBA. Similarly, Microsoft | | | | product portfolio! |
| retains certification for its other products apart from | | | | It takes Money! Where will the Money Come from? |
| VFP. The VFP community could therefore setup new | | | | Definitely, administering an initiative of this sort takes |
| certification exams (considering also that in the | | | | money and financial resources to setup web sites, |
| developing world, this may be the only qualification | | | | produce and publish training materials, place adverts, |
| available to VFP Programmers who are non-degree | | | | print and send certificates, travel, etc but this need not |
| holders) that VFP Programmers could take. The aim | | | | be an obstacle! if programmers pay a fee to take the |
| of the certification exam would be to ascertain that a | | | | exam and are required to take a new exam say |
| programmer is qualified to undertake and deliver | | | | every two-three years as new features are |
| solutions built primary with VFP as the primary | | | | integrated into the VFP product by voluntary |
| development language. | | | | community efforts, funds will be available. Additionally, |
| Such certification exams could be structured to deliver | | | | certifying sites, speaking at community events and son |
| credits earned in three levels viz: Certified Visual | | | | on would be done for a token fee that would bring |
| FoxPro Professional (CVFP), Certified Visual FoxPro | | | | resources in to not only run the foundation but also to |
| Master (CVPM) and Certified Visual FoxPro Enterprise | | | | provide a token compensation for the core of people |
| Architect (CVFPA). | | | | coordinating the activities of the university foundation. |
| The aim of each certification could be of course | | | | A seed fund would definitely need to be raised by |
| decided at a later stage, but for example, the Certified | | | | voluntary donations to kick-start the whole effort. |
| Visual FoxPro Professional examination could aim to | | | | What it all boils down to! |
| ensure that a Visual FoxPro programmer can write | | | | All of the ideas itemized above will not of course |
| workable VFP based applications and desktop | | | | obviate the need for improvements and modernization |
| applications using VFP. The CVPM certification could | | | | of the VFP product nor do we as a community need |
| be used to certify that a VFP Programmer could build | | | | to take Microsoft’s place to advertize a product |
| full-featured pure fox two-tier client/server applications | | | | that it makes. This means that as long as the product |
| using VFP as the primary application development | | | | remains largely close-sourced, many of the things will |
| environment. The CVFPA certification would test a | | | | depend not on the community but on Microsoft! For |
| programmers knowledge on how to use to VFP to | | | | example, taking off those Windows 95 dialogs and |
| build top-notch n-tier distributed web-based or | | | | replacing them with new dialogs and so on. However, |
| windows based enterprise applications. | | | | because we are the ones that use this product and |
| These certifications would be designed to give VFP | | | | some of us have too huge an investment in this |
| Programmers something to hold onto and also | | | | product to start re-writing in another language, we |
| publicized attract new programmers into the VFP fold. | | | | have to take some action to ensure that the VFP |
| The trend we have observed in our part of the world | | | | product line is not just casually swept under the carpet |
| is the importance placed on professional certifications | | | | like that…we do not have to accept a faith accompli! |
| of this type as testimony that the professional does | | | | This means that the campaign to get Microsoft to |
| indeed possess the requisite professional skills to | | | | honor its ‘Corporate-community’ responsibility to |
| deliver a solution based on the stated/proposed | | | | the many VFP programmers who make a living by |
| technology. We have also observed that most people | | | | writing software with VFP, to open-source all of VFP |
| look upon the availability of certification exams as | | | | (not just its environment) must be intensified. Now is |
| testimony that the technology is current. Why should | | | | as good a time as any for the VFP community to take |
| this be different in the case of Visual FoxPro? While | | | | a definite stance on their beloved venerable |
| MSCD on the Visual FoxPro track existed, Microsoft | | | | development tool of choice! |
| ensured that those for Visual Basic and Visual C++ | | | | VFP has a reputation of having a vibrant active, |
| overshadowed these! Now VFP Programmers can | | | | dedicated and loyal user community; something that is |
| setup something on their own and ensure that it is | | | | the envy of most other products, including |
| properly marketed to developers! | | | | Microsoft’s Visual Basic or C#! Now is the time for |
| Of course setting up certification exams would have | | | | this community to show its true mettle, taking the VFP |
| to come with the full works such as setting up | | | | Bull by the horns and doing what must be done to |
| curricular, courseware and approved training materials | | | | keep the product alive! It will require will on our part as |
| that students could use to train. Such materials could | | | | a community and we need not be the underdog |
| also form the nucleus of another marketing | | | | always! ‘Yes we can’! |
| ploy….marketing VFP as the principal tool to teach | | | | |