MS Visual FoxPro 7.0 Goes Gold
Microsoft released to manufacturing this week Visual FoxPro 7.0. According to the software giant, "Visual FoxPro offers developers a data-centric, object-oriented language for building database applications, including desktop, client/server, and Web-based solutions. Features and enhancements include support for XML Web services, Microsoft SQL Server Data Engine 2000, event binding, and an enhanced development environment." Retail availability is scheduled for July, and will run $579 and $279 USD for full and upgrade versions, respectively.
Microsoft touts four major areas of change in the newest version of its Visual FoxPro development system: the development environment, language features, development tools, and XML Web services. The Visual FoxPro IDE now includes dockable windows, menu configuration options, bookmarks and shortcuts, as well as a new document view to navigate procedures and functions.
More than 50 commands and functions have been added in Visual FoxPro 7.0, along with a task manager to track of shortcuts in the code. A new object browser allows for the quick display of available classes, properties, methods, events, and constants. To improve distribution, InstallShield Express has been provided to deploy Visual FoxPro applications.
In tune with the company's .NET push, Microsoft has added support for the latest XML standards to promote XML-based Web services. Visual FoxPro 7.0 includes the Microsoft SOAP Toolkit functionality, as well as new extensions to make publishing a Web service extremely simple.
For more details or purchasing information on version 7.0, visit the Visual FoxPro Home Page.