TOPIC:

In the last years, we have had some requests about our plans for ReportPro.
Many people have told us that they really like ReportPro, but it could use some improvements and its UI could use some "modernization".
We have also considered adjusting ReportPro, so it will be able to process (converted) FoxPro reports.

We have been in contact with Italian developers that want to work on this.
At this moment, we would like to know the size of the community and what you are looking for.

We are thinking of the following improvements:
• Vertical font and/or angle management
• Full color palette.
• Variable visibility between 2 different sections, like $1.<variable> or something like that.
• Arrangement of the various forms, all expandable and anchorable (if possible) similar to VO.
• Improved zoom in preview
• Zoom into designer
• HTML rendering
• Correct centering of the images in the box
• Image transparency
• Expansion predefined forms
• New controls like checkbox on the report
• Native Barcode and QRcode (datamatrix) etc.
• Each control can grow and can decrease, so that when both are ticked, they occupy the correct area without cuts or white spaces
• Thumbnails on the left with click and page jump.
• Gradient background in addition to the styles (barred, lines, etc.)
• Native PDF and XLS export enhancement.
• Custom predefined shapes
• Enhanced charts
• XML report export as standard (instead of the old .rpt)
• Automatic conversion from RPT to XML or Tool to convert existing RPT to XML
• Data buffering on temp file
• Data browser to clearly see the content of the data it is processing
• "total" text box


What we would like to know from you is the following:
1. Your RP Version RP2[ ] RP3[ ]
2. Uses [ ] VO [ ] XSharp
3. As a database you use. [ ] DBFs [ ]Temporary DBFs [ ] SQL
4. Approximately how many installations of RP2 you have [ ] 0-100 [ ] 101 - 1000 [ ] > 1000
5. Approximately how many people will use RP in your company [ ] 1-5 [ ] 6-20 [ ] > 20
6. Are you interested in participating in an alpha test: [ ] Yes [ ] No
7. How much are you willing to pay for this upgrade. [ ] € 100 [ ] € 500 ] € 1.000

Please copy the last section of this message to your answer and put [X] for your choice.

Robert

Hi Robert,
i would like to use report in "Core" dialect without any VO or VN libraries

1. Your RP Version RP2[X] RP3[ ]
2. Uses [ ] VO [X ] XSharp
3. As a database you use. [ ] DBFs [X ]Temporary DBFs [X ] SQL
4. Approximately how many installations of RP2 you have [ X] 0-100 [ ] 101 - 1000 [ ] > 1000
5. Approximately how many people will use RP in your company [X ] 1-5 [ ] 6-20 [ ] > 20
6. Are you interested in participating in an alpha test: [X] Yes [ ] No
7. How much are you willing to pay for this upgrade. [X ] € 100 [ ] € 500 ] € 1.000

Juraj

1. Your RP Version RP2[X] RP3[ ]
2. Uses [X] VO [ ] XSharp
3. As a database you use. [X] DBFs [ ]Temporary DBFs [ ] SQL
4. Approximately how many installations of RP2 you have [X] 0-100 [ ] 101 - 1000 [ ] > 1000
5. Approximately how many people will use RP in your company [X] 1-5 [ ] 6-20 [ ] > 20
6. Are you interested in participating in an alpha test: [ ] Yes [X] No
7. How much are you willing to pay for this upgrade. [X] € 100 [ ] € 500 ] € 1.000


Dick

1. Your RP Version RP2[X] RP3[ ]
2. Uses [X] VO [X] XSharp
3. As a database you use. [ ] DBFs [X]Temporary DBFs [ ] SQL
4. Approximately how many installations of RP2 you have [X] 0-100 [ ] 101 - 1000 [ ] > 1000
5. Approximately how many people will use RP in your company [X] 1-5 [ ] 6-20 [ ] > 20
6. Are you interested in participating in an alpha test: [ ] Yes [X] No
7. How much are you willing to pay for this upgrade. [X] € 100 [ ] € 500 ] € 1.000

1. Your RP Version RP2[ ] RP3[X]
2. Uses [X] VO [X] XSharp
3. As a database you use. [ ] DBFs [X]Temporary DBFs [X] SQL
4. Approximately how many installations of RP2 you have [ ] 0-100 [X] 101 - 1000 [ ] > 1000
5. Approximately how many people will use RP in your company [X] 1-5 [ ] 6-20 [ ] > 20
6. Are you interested in participating in an alpha test: [ ] Yes [X] No
7. How much are you willing to pay for this upgrade. [X] € 100 [X] € 500 ] € 1.000

**In 4 I guess you mean installations of our programm using .RPT files.

1. Your RP Version RP2[ ] RP3[X]
2. Uses [X] VO [X] XSharp
3. As a database you use. [X] DBFs [ ]Temporary DBFs [ ] SQL
4. Approximately how many installations of RP2 you have [X] 0-100 [ ] 101 - 1000 [ ] > 1000
5. Approximately how many people will use RP in your company [X] 1-5 [ ] 6-20 [ ] > 20
6. Are you interested in participating in an alpha test: [ ] Yes [X] No
7. How much are you willing to pay for this upgrade. [X] € 100 [ ] € 500 ] € 1.000

Hi Robert,
that is great news.

1. Your RP Version RP2[ ] RP3[X]
2. Uses [ ] VO [X] XSharp
3. As a database you use. [X] DBFs [X] Temporary DBFs [ ] SQL
4. Approximately how many installations of RP2 you have [ ] 0-100 [ ] 101 - 1000 [X] > 1000 (RP3 not RP2)
5. Approximately how many people will use RP in your company [X] 1-5 [ ] 6-20 [ ] > 20 (we have >10 resellers, that create their own reports)
6. Are you interested in participating in an alpha test: [X] Yes [ ] No
7. How much are you willing to pay for this upgrade. [X] € 100 [X] € 500 ] € 1.000

1. Your RP Version RP2[X ] RP3[ ]
2. Uses [X ] VO [X ] XSharp
3. As a database you use. [X ] DBFs [X ]Temporary DBFs [ ] SQL
4. Approximately how many installations of RP2 you have [X ] 0-100 [ ] 101 - 1000 [ ] > 1000
5. Approximately how many people will use RP in your company [X ] 1-5 [ ] 6-20 [ ] > 20
6. Are you interested in participating in an alpha test: [? ] Yes [? ] No
7. How much are you willing to pay for this upgrade. [X ] € 100 [ ] € 500 ] € 1.000

1. Your RP Version RP2[X] RP3[ ]
2. Uses [] VO [X] XSharp
3. As a database you use. [ ] DBFs [X]Temporary DBFs [ ] SQL
4. Approximately how many installations of RP2 you have [ ] 0-100 [X] 101 - 1000 [ ] > 1000
5. Approximately how many people will use RP in your company [X] 1-5 [ ] 6-20 [ ] > 20
6. Are you interested in participating in an alpha test: [ ] Yes [X] No
7. How much are you willing to pay for this upgrade. [X] € 100 [] € 500 [] € 1.000

Of the suggested improvements, improving the preview zooming and image transparency support would be the most benefit to us.
Would also be great if you could look at the file size of reports with images exported to PDF - file size are huge compared to just printing to a PDF printer.

1. Your RP Version RP2[X] RP3[ ]
2. Uses [] VO [X] XSharp
3. As a database you use. [X ] DBFs [ ]Temporary DBFs [ ] SQL
4. Approximately how many installations of RP2 you have [X ] 0-100 [ ] 101 - 1000 [ ] > 1000
5. Approximately how many people will use RP in your company [X] 1-5 [ ] 6-20 [ ] > 20
6. Are you interested in participating in an alpha test: [X ] Yes [ ] No
7. How much are you willing to pay for this upgrade. [X] € 100 [] € 500 [] € 1.000

that said, guys, are you serious? I, a hobbiest in the programming field, am #2 willing to even test a prerelease? And most are willing to invest sparse 100€? What is your hourly fee, i wonder...

1. Your RP Version RP2[X] RP3[ ]
2. Uses [X] VO [X] XSharp
3. As a database you use. [X] DBFs [X]Temporary DBFs [later] SQL
4. Approximately how many installations of RP2 you have [X] 0-100 [ ] 101 - 1000 [ ] > 1000
5. Approximately how many people will use RP in your company [X] 1-5 [ ] 6-20 [ ] > 20
6. Are you interested in participating in an alpha test: [X] Yes [ ] No
7. How much are you willing to pay for this upgrade. [ ] € 100 [ ] € 500 [X] € 1.000

Important for us is to have the sourcecode.

Karl

1. Your RP Version RP2[x] RP3[ ]
2. Uses [x] VO [x] XSharp
3. As a database you use. [x] DBFs [ ]Temporary DBFs [ ] SQL
4. Approximately how many installations of RP2 you have [x] 0-100 [ ] 101 - 1000 [ ] > 1000
5. Approximately how many people will use RP in your company [x] 1-5 [ ] 6-20 [ ] > 20
6. Are you interested in participating in an alpha test: [x] Yes [ ] No
7. How much are you willing to pay for this upgrade. [x] € 100 [ ] € 500 ] € 1.000

that said, guys, are you serious? I, a hobbiest in the programming field, am #2 willing to even test a prerelease? And most are > willing to invest sparse 100€? What is your hourly fee, i wonder...

In fact, having a poor response could cause the project to be cancelled. Costs are important and without a serious feedback risks that we stop this project are possible. Thank you

Alessandro

AlessandroV wrote:

that said, guys, are you serious? I, a hobbiest in the programming field, am #2 willing to even test a prerelease? And most are > willing to invest sparse 100€? What is your hourly fee, i wonder...

In fact, having a poor response could cause the project to be cancelled. Costs are important and without a serious feedback risks that we stop this project are possible. Thank you

I agree with you. I did put the price in the poll to see what this is worth to people.
But from the response we get so far, people are not really interested.
I see 9 responses, 7 x € 100. 2 x € 500 and 1 x € 1000.
That is simply not enough (at least not at this moment) to justify the development time and support time.
Maybe more response will follow?

Robert

Hi Robert,
PMFJI:

people are not really interested

I don't think people is not interested (leave me out as I don't use ReportPro), but they don't make the right assumptions about the price.

The correct calculation for ReportPro users is really simple:
- are the new features saving time to the programmer - then the saved time has a value
- help the new features acquire new users - then this has a value
- can the new features make customers buy upgrades, or can help they justify maintenance contracts - again, this has a value.

Based on these values one could say how much this upgrade is worth, and I'm pretty sure then the amounts will change a lot (leaving out people that works only for pleasure).

And specially when it comes to the use of open source software I have often encountered people that forgets that every work has to be paid in one or another form - and not paying for it can let to its discontinuation.

Wolfgang

Hello,

What we would like to know from you is the following:
1. RP3
2. XSharp
3. [y] DBFs [y]Temporary DBFs
4. Approximately how many installations of RP2 you have [ ] 0-100 [y] 101 - 1000 [ ] > 1000
5. Approximately how many people will use RP in your company [y] 1-5 [ ] 6-20 [ ] > 20
6. Are you interested in participating in an alpha test: [y] Yes [ ] No
7. How much are you willing to pay for this upgrade. [y] € 100 [y] € 500 ] € 1.000

We from INFOMINDS don't use Report Pro anymore.
Arne

We don't use ReportPro and would much prefer that any development time be spent on the RDD on top of SQL (through Ado.Net) and
Client/Server RDD.

Chris

1. La tua versione RP RP2[x] RP3[ ]
2. Utilizza [x] VO [ ] XSharp
3. Come database tu utilizzo. [ ] DBF [x] DBF temporanei [ ] SQL
4. Numero approssimativo di installazioni di RP2 di cui disponi [ 1 ] 0-100 [ ] 101 - 1000 [ ] > 1000
5. Approssimativamente quante persone useranno RP nella tua azienda [ 1 ] 1-5 [ ] 6-20 [ ] > 20
6. Sei interessato a partecipare a un alpha test: [ ] Sì [ x ] No
7. Quanto sei disposti a pagare per questo aggiornamento. [x] € 100 [ ] € 500 ] € 1.000

Hi..
1. Your RP Version RP2[X ] RP3[ ]
2. Uses [ X] VO [ X] XSharp
3. As a database you use. [X ] DBFs [ ]Temporary DBFs [ ] SQL
4. Approximately how many installations of RP2 you have [ X] 0-100 [ ] 101 - 1000 [ ] > 1000
5. Approximately how many people will use RP in your company [X ] 1-5 [ ] 6-20 [ ] > 20
6. Are you interested in participating in an alpha test: [ X] Yes [X ] No
7. How much are you willing to pay for this upgrade. [ X] € 100 [ ] € 500 ] € 1.000