Do FoxPro 2.6 Win Multi-User Apps work in TermServ 2003?

[Vic Wilson]

Can anyone please comment on whether I might have success
with a legacy Foxpro 2.6 (windows) application under
terminal services (Server 2003). The app is multi-user,
shared data-files etc? I believe the app doesn't even
need any registry entries in order to run. (We're talking
20-30 users on a decently grunty multi-proc server with
2GB RAM...)

I've heard mention of memory leaks and other horrors with
DOS and 16-bit apps... What are my chances of success?
And, what are the things to watch out for?

Any help or comment would be very much appreciated.

Regards
Vic Wilson

 

[Matthew Harris [MVP]]

Those old DOS programs are a tough dog to tame. The
problem is that FoxPro 2.6 (as well as other DOS programs)
poll the keyboard buffer constantly to see when the user
is typing in data. While this is alright, the problem is
that this loop runs constantly, using all the processor
cycles. There are a few programs out there, like Tame
from www.tamedos.com, which force the program to not run
in such a tight loop, but the problem is still there
nonetheless.

The best solution is to think about upgrading FoxPro 2.6
to the latest (or at least newer) version. I ran into
this same problem when I was converting systems over, and
my department decided to go with Visual FoxPro 6. While
it did take a little while to convert the programs over,
the codes didn't change too much.

-M

 

[Mark Mancini]

Vic, I have a client with a FoxPro app and it "works" but it ain't pretty.
It's a $20,000 contruction POS app (no, not point of sale). Any company
buying any Foxpro created app is making a mistke...personally.

--


Sincerely,
Mark Mancini, CCA, CCNA, CNE 4-5, MCSA, Master CIW, MCSE+I NT4-2000

www.MCSE2000.com
www.AppLauncher.com

 

[AngelV]

Vic,

If you can migrate your Fox 2.6 application to Visual
FoxPro 7 or 8 version, your probles will disappear. I had
the same problem with this kind of VF 2.x apps and I
written all application (ERP modules), reaching more speed
and compatibility for 50 users with no Blue Screens
anymore. The application is super faster now running in TS.

Go ahead.

good look

Angel

 

[Alan B]

Any company buying any Foxpro created app is making a
mistke...personally.

Any DOS or 16-bit app, FPW / FPD included, need consideration before
deploying on TS because of the way that NT based OS's run that type of
code. It's unfair to single out FPW / FPD in that respect. Anything
written in VFP is 32-bit and will work as well as any VB application or
whatever.