The Legacy of Visual FoxPro

Visual FoxPro: A Discontinued Data-Centric Programming Language

Visual FoxPro (VFP) was a powerful, data-centric, object-oriented, and procedural programming language that left a significant mark on the programming landscape during its era. Developed and produced by Microsoft, Visual FoxPro emerged as one of the fastest PC-based database engines of its time. Its influence extended far beyond its release, helping shape the database and application development environments for many developers before its eventual discontinuation. This article delves into the history, features, evolution, and impact of Visual FoxPro, and explores why it remains fondly remembered by the community.

A Brief History of Visual FoxPro

The origins of Visual FoxPro can be traced back to 1984, when Fox Software, a company founded by Dave Fulton and others, introduced FoxBASE, a database management system for the MS-DOS operating system. FoxBASE was built with the goal of providing a powerful relational database management system (RDBMS) that could run efficiently on personal computers. It quickly became popular among developers due to its speed, flexibility, and easy-to-use interface. The language was based on a procedural programming model that made it particularly suited for database-centric applications.

In 1992, Fox Software merged with Microsoft, and the result of this acquisition was the birth of Visual FoxPro. As part of the merger, the FoxBASE product was rebranded as Visual FoxPro, and its capabilities were significantly enhanced. The first “Visual” version, Visual FoxPro 3.0, released in 1995, introduced object-oriented programming (OOP) concepts, enhancing the flexibility and maintainability of applications. Over the years, additional features were added to the language, making it even more powerful, and cementing its place as one of the leading tools for building business applications.

Key Features of Visual FoxPro

Visual FoxPro’s primary appeal lay in its powerful database engine, which was considered one of the fastest at the time. The language supported the creation and manipulation of complex databases and enabled developers to design sophisticated data-driven applications. Here are some of the notable features of Visual FoxPro:

Data-Centric Design: Visual FoxPro was designed from the ground up with data handling as its primary focus. The language provided built-in support for creating and managing databases, queries, reports, and other data-intensive operations. This made it especially useful for developing business applications where handling large volumes of data was a central concern.
Object-Oriented Programming: The introduction of object-oriented programming with Visual FoxPro 3.0 allowed developers to design more modular and reusable code. The object-oriented model in VFP made it possible to create classes, objects, and methods, improving code organization and making applications easier to maintain.
Rich User Interface: Visual FoxPro offered a powerful and flexible development environment that allowed developers to create rich, graphical user interfaces (GUIs). Its visual design tools enabled the rapid creation of forms, reports, and controls, which could be easily customized to meet the needs of the user.
SQL Support: Visual FoxPro featured robust support for Structured Query Language (SQL), which made it possible to execute complex database queries and perform advanced data manipulation tasks. The language also supported a variety of database management systems (DBMS), such as the native FoxPro database, SQL Server, and others.
Cross-Platform Support: Early versions of FoxPro, including FoxPro 2.6, offered cross-platform support for different operating systems, including MS-DOS, Mac OS, Unix, and Windows. However, with the release of Visual FoxPro 3.0, Microsoft limited platform support to just Mac OS and Windows. Later versions, from 5.0 to 9.0, were exclusively for Windows.
Integrated Database Engine: The built-in database engine in Visual FoxPro was one of the language’s most important features. It allowed developers to create, manage, and manipulate databases directly from the programming environment, which helped streamline development workflows and improve efficiency.
Reports and Printing: Visual FoxPro provided robust tools for creating reports and printing. Developers could easily generate formatted reports that could be exported to various formats, including PDF, HTML, and text files.
COM-based Architecture: The later versions of Visual FoxPro (from 7.0 onwards) supported COM (Component Object Model) technology, allowing for greater integration with other Microsoft technologies, such as Microsoft Office and the .NET Framework. However, Microsoft has stated that it would not release a .NET version of Visual FoxPro.

Evolution of Visual FoxPro

Visual FoxPro underwent several major version upgrades, each introducing new features and improvements to the development environment. The timeline of Visual FoxPro’s evolution is as follows:

FoxPro 2.x (1984-1992): The FoxPro 2.x series marked the beginning of Fox Software’s foray into RDBMS technology. It was known for its high performance, especially in database operations, and became a popular choice for developers working with MS-DOS systems.
Visual FoxPro 3.0 (1995): This was the first version of FoxPro to incorporate object-oriented programming, bringing the language in line with other modern programming paradigms. It also introduced a more advanced integrated development environment (IDE) with drag-and-drop capabilities, allowing for quicker application development.
Visual FoxPro 5.0 (1997): This version saw further improvements in the object-oriented model, adding new features for managing databases and manipulating data. It also featured better integration with Windows and improved reporting tools.
Visual FoxPro 6.0 (1998): With version 6.0, Microsoft introduced enhancements to the IDE, as well as improvements to the language itself. The version offered more robust support for SQL and was seen as an excellent tool for creating desktop and business applications.
Visual FoxPro 7.0 (2002): VFP 7.0 continued the trend of adding new features while improving existing ones. Notably, the release of VFP 7.0 saw greater integration with Microsoft Office and other Windows-based applications. It was also the first version to offer enhanced debugging tools.
Visual FoxPro 8.0 (2003): This version of VFP included several important changes, including better data handling and performance improvements. It was also the first version to feature the “Visual FoxPro Report Designer,” which allowed developers to create more sophisticated reports.
Visual FoxPro 9.0 (2004): The final version of VFP, released in 2004 and updated in 2007, brought several new features, including enhanced XML support, improved data handling capabilities, and better integration with web services. This would be the last major release of the Visual FoxPro language, with Microsoft announcing that no further versions would be developed.

The End of Visual FoxPro

In 2007, Microsoft announced that Visual FoxPro would no longer be developed or supported beyond version 9.0. This decision was a result of several factors, including changes in the technology landscape and the rise of other programming languages and frameworks, such as C#, .NET, and Java. The shift to web-based applications, coupled with the decline in desktop application development, further contributed to the decision to end Visual FoxPro’s development.

Despite this, Visual FoxPro continues to have a dedicated community of developers and users who maintain legacy applications written in the language. There is a significant amount of historical and technical interest in Visual FoxPro, with many developers praising its speed, flexibility, and ease of use during its heyday. The language’s database engine, in particular, is still regarded as one of the fastest and most efficient ever created for personal computers.

While Microsoft officially ceased development and support for Visual FoxPro, the language left an indelible mark on the development world. Its strong database engine, rapid application development (RAD) tools, and innovative features helped shape the landscape of desktop and business application development in the 1990s and early 2000s.

For developers who worked with VFP, the language is fondly remembered as an exceptionally powerful tool for database-driven applications. Even though the development community has largely moved on to newer technologies, there is still a niche group of professionals who continue to use Visual FoxPro in legacy systems. In fact, many applications built in Visual FoxPro are still in use today, and their developers maintain them using custom-built tools and techniques.

The knowledge and experience gained from working with Visual FoxPro also contributed to the growth of database-driven programming and the understanding of relational databases, which has had a lasting impact on the development of modern databases and web technologies. As the world of programming and application development continues to evolve, Visual FoxPro remains an important chapter in the history of software development.

Conclusion

Visual FoxPro was once a revolutionary programming language that set new standards for data-centric development. Its integration of a powerful database engine, object-oriented programming, and robust development environment made it one of the most powerful tools for creating business applications during its time. Despite its eventual discontinuation, Visual FoxPro’s legacy endures, and its influence is still felt in the development world today.

The language may have been officially retired, but its impact on data handling, database management systems, and application development is undeniable. For those who worked with it, Visual FoxPro remains a symbol of a bygone era in computing—a time when desktop applications were at the forefront, and speed and flexibility were paramount.