Heya Judith.
I'm coming to this thread way late - been swamped with other things.
But..
If you have already put out your VFP application and it's segmented into
using non-visual classes for the business logic tier and the data layer
tier, then you can extend those classes for use in Active FoxPro Pages
(IIS and Apache) and in Active VFP (IIS) to make a web-server application
that is viewable from ONLY a client web-browser. No Dot Net Required.
Runs on all browsers.
There are other possibilities, of course:
1. (my personal preference) set up your application as is in a managed
ASP (application service provider) hosting farm and charge monthly fees
back to your clients to access it. A subscription model for that line of
business would turn your clients 'need to access' the app into a profit
center for your firm, if you approach it in that manner.
2. make a vfp-based thick client that is similar to the one you use now,
but can handle connections to either the public internet or a private
network or dial up to GET data and UPDATE data. You can utilize either vfp
or a sql-derivant db for the backend data store. Make certain you allow
for a 'disconnected operational state' as you will probably have clients
who are not always connected to the internet and will want to use this
software without a persistent internet connection.
3. You recently had a 'hosting service move' with a rewrite on your ASP
(active server pages) codebase. Was there any knowledge transfer back to
your firm from the 'lessons learned' category from the web hosting
provider?
Is there a good entry point in your current webspace to handle a VFP-based
add-on?
4. You might want to engage a firm to do a functionality review on your
existing codebase and then suggest some architecture modifications to
re-factor any business rules that are stuck in the gui-layer of your app,
just as a reality check. If your app has business rules, for example, in
a click event of a command button, then that's one area that will need to
be refactored as you are looking into making a web-server-based
application.
IF I were you, I would not consider making a jump into anything with the
dot something architecture - the product development cycle for a rewrite
might be something that would actually cripple your company in unnecessary
expenditures.
Judith, I'd appreciate some feedback on my comments about your possible
choices for a new development roadmap.
warmest regards [Bill]
--
William Sanders / efGroup {rmv the DOT BOB to reply}
VFP Webhosting? You BET! -> http://efgroup.net/vfpwebhosting
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