For 10 yrs before retiring I did a lot of contract multi-user programming in a DOS database language. So, my knowledge of database flow is ok. What I lack is the beginning knowledge to program in VFP. I've been retired for about 10 yrs and would like to write some personal DOS database programs to a Windows based language.

I can program a fairly well in MS Access and was learning VB.Net 2002 until a friend reminded me that VFP has it's own database and report writing capabilities - both sadly lacking in any version of VB.

I've got VFP5 and VFP9 and have been able to learn the basics in form design and how to connect the form fields to a database table field (however, still having trouble with that). I'm at the point now where a lack of simple beginning basic knowledge is stopping further progress. I've already downloaded from Hentzenwerke the book called "Fundamentals: Building Visual Studio Applications on a Visual FoxPro 6.0 Foundation" and have read most of it. There is a lot of good info in the book and I've learned a lot.

But I need even more basic instruction. Where can I find instructive material on the level of "VFP for Dummies" so I can get a starting toe hold

Thanks....

You may check:

http://www.hentzenwerke.com/catalog/kilofox.htm

(I asked your question a couple months back)

Though I'm using VFP-9, I just read all of Kilo-Fox and Mega-Fox (Akins, Kramek, Schummer) ( (the latter venturing into VFP-7 is really part 2 of Kilo-Fox); these are compassionately written (almost heart-wrenching): a total of perhaps 2002 VFP-coded protocols and workarounds that should easily guide you by the hand into the great beyond of VFP.

You will also require the maternal-guru Help-file format of HackFox and/or HackFox7 by (Tamar E. Granor, Ted Roche, Doug Hennig, and Della Martin)

In sum I feel: While the depth and breadth of these 3 books are fully explored with code-examples for dummies and geniuses, they are exceedingly sympathetic and empathetic with VFP-pragmatic scientists, and therefore a must-have for all of us.

>> But I need even more basic instruction. Where can I find instructive material on the level of "VFP for Dummies" so I can get a starting toe hold

If you have already got "Fundamentals: Building Visual Studio Applications on a Visual FoxPro 6.0 Foundation" by Whil Hentzen then there really isn't anything else out there more basic. It really is the best place to start! All of the other books referred to (including my own) assume at least some knowledge of VFP tools and techniques - this book at least covers them first.

The only other place you could try is the VFP help file - there are some readable topics in the "Getting Started" section that may be useful.

Hi Philip

>>these are compassionately written (almost heart-wrenching):

Compassionate Heart-Wrenching Sounds more like a description of a book of poetry than a technical guide :)

...Well Andy, I feel they're noteworthy; they've seemed compassionate and longsuffering to me, and a monumental labor of love (despite my untoward grammar), I'm just grateful to have so many excellent code-examples and veteran VFP-dialogue-logics in my possession, here in Albertville, AL. Those 3 books (yours and HackFox) have increased my confidence and productivity many-fold.

Last night I referred to your "Active-X chapter" (for calendar types (MegaFox)) and Tamar's (HackFox7) dealings with VFP syntax peculiarities (repeatedly). Hence, I've managed to "implement" that active-X calendar not-a-little beyond my expectations, both yesterday and today.

Time would fail me to note all those invaluable drill-down classes, resizers, run-time preps, and other VFP-pearls ...

While VFP-9 has numerous report-treasures that seem worth *digging up* of late.