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General Information

Visual MaxFrame Professional (VMP) is an award-winning object-oriented application development framework designed for Visual FoxPro. It consists of a set of class definitions in .VCX visual class libraries and procedural code libraries for use in creating an integrated set of application components providing basic features common to most Visual FoxPro applications.

VMP was designed by Drew Speedie, who also wrote most of the actual code, assisted by the Visual FoxPro development team at Visionpace Drew is an internationally recognized Visual FoxPro expert who, in addition to his duties as the Enterprise Consultant/FoxPro Technical Director at Visionpace, is a contributing editor to FoxPro Advisor magazine and a frequent speaker at FoxPro conferences.

Visual MaxFrame Professional is intended for use by:

  • Visual FoxPro developers who have not yet developed their own application framework and/or want to take advantage of the features in Visual MaxFrame Professional.
  • Experienced Fox2x developers who understand the object and event models in Visual FoxPro and want to eliminate the need to build a reusable application framework from scratch.

Visual MaxFrame Professional is not an "application generator" – you can't use it to automatically create data-entry forms based on a data dictionary, etc. If you are so inclined, you can create your own custom wizards to create VMP-based forms and other application components.

Visual MaxFrame Professional is an application framework – you subclass the framework classes into your own customized framework objects. VMP is comprehensive, yet flexible, allowing you to decide the level of customization you want while providing global application services. Further down the class hierarchies, VMP includes ready-to-use form, control, and utility classes.

Visual MaxFrame Professional is not "pure OOP". Where appropriate, we've used native VFP constructs, procedural or otherwise to solve problems with the best available tool. For example, we have not "objectified" menus – you can continue to use the native VFP Menu Designer the same way you have since FoxPro 2.0.

Visual MaxFrame Professional allows you to develop applications using any of the following architectures:

  • 1-Tier (VFP code, VFP database)

  • 2-Tier (VFP code, remote database)

  • n-Tier (any presentation tier including a VMP desktop application, VMP business objects in the middle tier, any database)

In fact, VMP even supports mixing any combination of the above architectures in a single application!

Visual MaxFrame Professional has been designed with the average FoxPro developer in mind. At Visionpace, we use VMP to develop Visual FoxPro applications, mostly mid-to-large business applications requiring a team of developers. Visual MaxFrame Professional is the tool we use to shorten the learning curve and get the team productive as soon as possible.

Visual MaxFrame Professional is designed with an open approach to the architecture. No framework can work perfectly for everyone in all applications, so we made conscious design decisions that make the framework as open as possible. For example:

  • VMP allows you to create either .SCX-based forms or .VCX-based forms, whichever you prefer or whichever is best suited to the particular problem at hand.
  • VMP does not impose its own data-dictionary on you, the developer – since VMP isn't an application generator, it doesn't depend on a proprietary meta-data system, and you can use your own data-dictionary or a third party tool one like the Stonefield Database Toolkit (SDT).
  • VMP supports n-Tier and non-n-Tier forms or processes in the same application -- you can gradually convert any/all forms in an existing non-n-Tier application to be n-Tier, or use an n-Tier design for new features

By subclassing where appropriate, you should find VMP readily-modifiable to your needs.

Click here to download VMPFactSheet.DOC, with detailed answers to these questions?

  • What are the basic VMP features?
  • What kind of n-Tier support does VMP offer?
  • Is VMP .NET-compatible?
  • What versions of VFP will VMP run in?
  • How is VMP different from the (free) framework in VFP?
  • Can I develop Client-Server applications with VMP?
  • Can I get support?
  • Is training available?
  • What about upgrades?
  • How much does it cost?
  • How does the subscription program work?
  • How can I purchase a copy?
  • What do other folks think of VMP?

Click here for a web page that gives answers to common questions about VMP.