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Visual FoxPro Development

Visual FoxPro (and even older versions, such as FoxPro for Windows, FoxPro DOS, and even FoxBase) are still widely in use in companies of all sizes and industries. Many of those applications are replaced over time, but equally as many have (and should) continue operating and need to be maintained and gradually improved.

We can help you with all these scenarios by providing FoxPro services in a variety of ways to fit every need, from hourly charged consulting engagements, to blocks of hours at a reduced rate (both as one-time setups and as ongoing service agreements), and sometimes even fixed-price projects. We can handle engagements of any size, starting with short consultancies that are only a few hours long, all the way up to multi-year projects with large teams. Our involvement in projects varies. Often we provide only a single resource to augment an existing team and provide some additional expertise or man-power, but equally as often, we provide larger parts of the team, or even the entire team, including management.

Note: This particular service description topic concerns itself with FoxPro work rather than the move to other technologies. If you find yourself in need of converting a FoxPro application to another technology (such as .NET), please take a look at our VFP Conversion Services.

Our Expertise

We maintain a staff with a vast expertise in Visual FoxPro and related technologies such as SQL Server. Some of our experts are even former members of the Microsoft Visual FoxPro Team (including the former Microsoft Visual FoxPro Product Manager). Companies often claim to be "the best" in something or other, and make of that what you will, but in this case, we can truly claim to have the most expertise in Visual FoxPro of any company, and back it up with facts.

Note also that our expertise isn't just in Visual FoxPro, but of course other technologies as well, including SQL Server, .NET, and Mobile Development.

Common Technologies

Of course FoxPro at it's core is a soup-to-nuts environment all by itself and may be the only technology needed to build an entire application. In other scenarios, additional technologies are used and needed. For a list of technologies that might apply to a FoxPro project in addition to FoxPro itself, see the “Related Services” section. Here is a short list of the most common technologies related to FoxPro projects we can help you with:

• FoxPro (any version)
• SQL Server
• .NET Development
• Web Development
• Mobile Development
• SOA and Services
• System Architecture
  

Engaging in FoxPro work with EPS/CODE

Most of our FoxPro work starts in one of two typical ways:

1. The customer has a very well defined need and approaches us about it with specific ideas as to what work needs to be done and how. In that case, we simply go through a short discussion of these needs, often review existing documents or code, and then detirmine the best person (or people) for the job and start work under a time & materials, or hourly-block agreement.
2. We start with a Vision & Scope Workshop to determine overall goals of the project, the size of the effort, and best approach. Based on the findings of this process, we decide on next steps together with the customer. Often, but not always, that may be a Proof of Concept or Prototype phase that subsequently moves into a further standard development process. Depending on the customer's exact needs, we detirmine a suitable agreement to start work under.

Project Lifecycle and Development Approach

FoxPro projects vary greatly in size, nature, and complexity and thus the development and project management (if needed) approach has to be customized accordingly. We work with our customers to decide on the best possible approach that matches the customer’s need and incorporates CODE at the level desired, whether that is a small supporting role or the other end of the spectrum, which has us manage and handle most of the project. In many cases, we do not use our own approach but integrate with a customer’s existing process.

Many (but not all) FoxPro projects utilize some variation of an Agile methodology.

Purchase Options

FoxPro projects come in all shapes and sizes, and the most appropriate business arrangements for such projects needs to be determined on a case-by-case basis together with the customer. In many cases, FoxPro projects are set up as “time-and-materials” projects billed on an hourly basis (either billed on an ongoing schedule, through service agreements, or as pre-paid hourly blocks). Sometimes, FoxPro projects can also be built on a fixed-price basis, but due to the complexity and size of such projects, this is only possible under specific pre-conditions and specific scenarios, and is not very common for FoxPro projects.