Why should I migrate from xHarbour to Harbour ?

[elvira]

Cristóbal,

Antonio said in previous posts that he was using VS 2012 because 2013 lacks from a Resource Editor.

Antonio,

Is there available more recent Harbour builds for BCC and Msvc2010?.

Those are from last year.

Thanks,

[cnavarro]

Elvira
I have installed on one computer VS2102, VS2013, both Professional version and can assure you that both have the resource editor

Elvira
Yo tengo instalado en un mismo equipo VS2102, VS2013, ambos version Profesional y puedo asegurarte que los dos tienen el editor de recursos

[Antonio Linares]

Elvira,

What I said is that the Express edition does NOT include the built-in resources editor. The Professional version and the Ultimate version include it.

I am already using Visual Studio 2013 Ultimate (free from the University):

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=14150

[elvira]

Antonio,

Thanks. And where i can download recent Harbour builds for bcc and msvc?.

[cnavarro]

Antonio,

Thanks. And where i can download recent Harbour builds for bcc and msvc?.

Look
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=28704#p160944

[elvira]

Cristóbal ,

Those links are from 2013, quite old.

[cnavarro]

Yes, it's true
But, are the ones I use with Borland and VS2012/2013 without any problem

[elvira]

That is Why i asked Master Antonio about it,

Thanks

[Antonio Linares]

Elvira,

Harbour official version is 3.2 and its sources are available from here:
La versión oficial de Harbour es la 3.2 y sus fuentes están disponibles desde aqui:
https://github.com/harbour/core

You have two choices:
Tienes dos opciones:

1. You can install TortoiseGIT and download Harbour from its repository.
1. Puedes instalar TortoiseGIT y descargar desde el repositorio de Harbour

2. You can download a ZIP file with everything, thus you don't need to use GIT (but once downloaded, you will not be able to update it, unless you download the ZIP again):
2. Puedes descargar el ZIP con todo y así no tener que usar GIT (pero una vez lo descargues, no podrás actualizarlo, salvo que vuelvas a descargar el ZIP):
https://github.com/harbour/core/archive/master.zip

Once you create a Harbour folder and unzip it (or downloaded using TortoiseGIT) use this batch file and run it from the Harbour folder:
Una vez tengas creada la carpeta Harbour y descomprimido (ó descargado con TortoiseGIT) crea este fichero BAT y ejecútalo desde la carpeta de Harbour:

go.bat

Code: Select all  Expand view

set path=c:\bcc582\bin
win-make.exe
 

This way you will have the most recent Harbour 3.2, because though we are using 3.2, it keeps being updated, with minor fixes that may appear. This means, making it more and more stable.
Asi obtendrás la versión 3.2 más reciente, porque aunque estemos usando la versión 3.2, se sigue actualizando, con correcciones que van apareciendo. Esto es, haciéndolo más y más estable.

Some days ago I wanted to provide you the most recent Harbour 3.2 but the PNG error has been introduced in its repository. Thius until this is not solved, it is not convenient to use it (it will not allow you to link).
Hace unos dias, quise proporcionaros el Harbour 3.2 más reciente, pero el problema es que el error de los PNGs se ha introducido en su repositorio. Asi que hasta que no esté resuelto, no es conveniente que intenteis usarlo (no deja enlazar).

This is why though our Harbour 3.2 that we offer from here:
Es por esto que aunque la versión de Harbour 3.2 que ofrecemos desde:
https://code.google.com/p/harbour-and-xharbour-builds/downloads/detail?name=harbour_bcc582_20131007.zip
is from 2013, is very stable and it does not include this error that I comment. As soon as it is solved, we will offer the most recent Harbour 3.2 updated.
es del 2013, está muy estable y no presenta este error que te comento. Tan pronto como se solucione, ofreceremos la versión 3.2 más actualizada.

p.d.: I know that even if I tell you, you will not pay me attention, but I am not a Master at all. We all have a "Master" inside us And by this time, more or less we all have the same master level.
p.d.: ya se que aunque os lo diga no me hareis caso, pero no soy Maestro de nada. Todos llevamos al "Maestro" dentro de nosotros Y a estas alturas todos ya tenemos más ó menos el mismo nivel de maestria.

[elvira]

Antonio,

Haven´t they still fixed those errors?.

I prefer to use Fivetech buids as they are tested by you and I think they are much secure.

But I am very worried if they haven´t fixed the png error yet.

[Antonio Linares]

Elvira,

I have just tested the most recent Harbour 3.2 build and the png error remains there, but I tell you: There is absolutely nothing to worry about it. Thats nothing compared to many issues that have been solved in the past.

Also, what we may do, meanwhile it gets solved, is to look for a build that is more recent than the one that we use that does not include the png error, so we can deliver a newer build to you that works properly.

Anyhow, the Harbour 3.2 build that we deliver with FWH, its a very good one: rock solid, and we have not found any problems with it.

[HunterEC]

Antonio:

What are the differences between xHarbour and Harbour ?

May I suggest if anyone on your team makes a video or a readme file on how to install / configure Visual Studio 2010 / 2012 / 2013 and a small demo ? This way you'll have covered all users on this forum.

Thank you very much !

[Antonio Linares]

Hunter,

https://github.com/harbour/core/blob/master/doc/xhb-diff.txt

But basically, if you use standard "clipper" code, then you can just recompile your sources using Harbour, really easy

We have provided a batch/makefile that allows you to build yours apps using Visual Studio in a similar way as you do using Borland from the command line (cmd.exe). Its provided in the new FWH 14.06 in the "makes" folder, vs2013_make.zip

Alternatively if you want to use the Visual Studio IDE, please follow these steps:

1. The easiest way to start working with the Visual Studio IDE is to download this project and simply double click on the SLN (solution) file:
https://code.google.com/p/fivewin-contributions/downloads/detail?name=tutor02_msvc2012_ok.zip

2. viewtopic.php?f=3&t=28674

3. Here you can find how to add syntax highlighting in Visual Studio (not a perfect solution but it works
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=28600&p=160284

[Antonio Linares]

Hunter,

Besides the above info, I have started publishing a detailed guide here:

viewtopic.php?f=17&t=28723&start=0

[TimStone]

I would have entered this thread earlier, but my wife had major cancer surgery last Thursday, so my priorities have been with her. I would like to share my experience at this time because I have been working with Antonio to test this.

First, I have a very large program with probably 100,000 lines of code ( or more ), and that is what I am using in all of these tests. I originally developed in xHarbour.com / xBuild. I stopped the subscription a few years ago because it appeared most of the work was by one individual focused on Visual xHarbour. That is a worthwhile project but I didn't use it. My current distribution software is still built with that package mainly because I needed the backward compatibility. It does bother me that the compiler was never updated and is still the old Pelles C Microsoft compatible version. Though Pelles improved the compiler, that never made it to the .com version. I never used the Borland builds for all of the reasons noted in this, and other, threads.

As FWH improved and expanded, there were often issues with xHarbour. Antonio has spent a significant amount of time providing work arounds for these needed functions so that I could still release my software.

A few years ago, I modified my code so I could also do builds with Harbour, and the Microsoft C compiler. I actually built a Ultra Edit Studio project that controls all of the code, and allows for both the Harbour / Msft and xHarbour / Pelles builds. I have both copies in distribution now, and clients who run one or the other. Many of my clients used Advantage Database Server version 7 or 8, and I never got the proper files to support those. I do have the files for ADS 9 to 11 and they work fine.

I can't tell you why, but clients who have both versions prefer the Harbour/Microsoft product. They just seem to feel it works better for them.

Last month I decided to follow some of the instruction Antonio had presented and build my full program in Visual Studio 2013 Professional. There are some setup issues to be considered, but eventually I have gotten past them all and now I am adding files steadily to the build. Right now I have about 58 comprehensive .prg files added and that is about 40 % of the project. Yes, what is included does work properly.

I have found that I am having some problems with strange results related to calling external DLLs when they are redefined as functions. I know I'll get this resolved in time.

The file created with Visual Studio is a single .exe. You can drop it into your existing client folder and everything else remains the same. That means there will be no problem in upgrading your clients to a version built with this product. It is quite easy.

You may ask why I would go to all this trouble. I have followed Microsoft closely with their program development. I hear all the talk about free Linux servers, free Google capabilities, wonderful Apple products, and all of the move toward tablets. However, my clients all own and operate businesses. I still believe Microsoft is by far the most advanced system for businesses. Even when IT people move to something else, eventually they will come back. Microsoft has the best total solution, from servers to devices, for business users. Most people who would disagree have never spent time with the products. I have, and I see the value. I believe programming in Visual Studio will open up many new opportunities. We can take the code ( xbase ) we have used for years and still use it in a Visual Studio application. VS is on a path to be continuously updated ( weekly ) and if you take time to actually review the many training videos and blogs, you will see the depth of that commitment. My legacy apps are all FWH, and I hope to also be able to build supplemental apps that will work well with them.

You may feel you don't have the time to make this move, but I would encourage you to explore it and see if maybe it will be good for you.

This is a long post ... but it makes up for several days of missed discussion. Now its back to work on my VS project. Please note, I am using the very latest version of Visual Studio 2013, but I started by using VS 2010, then 2012, to build my app as a UEStudio project.

Tim