You are absolutely right.
In 2004, 20 years ago, I programmed the online platform for a holiday region using ASP and SQL.
You can still see the work on the Wayback Machine.
At that time, we had over 1,000 hotel customers and over 30,000 unique IPs per day.
During this time, I also converted all my software to VB6 and SQL - then to VB.NET. I also made the mobile version of STB with VB.NET. However, MICROSOFT quickly changed the versions back then, and it wasn't backward compatible. Practically, it was very difficult for a solo developer.
I had the same problem back then that you have today with the Advantage Database Server. Everything works well, but the developer software is no longer being produced, and it is uncertain if the programs will work with the next operating system change.
I then went back to FIVEWIN and DBF. It was a liberation. One could program again without fixed predetermined rules. I could put together my tools again and make changes directly in classes. I was free again. I didn't need specialists to distribute my own software. Copy and paste and I was at the customer.
I come from a small village and had to be in a boarding school during my high school years. When I left the boarding school as I got older, it was a similar feeling of freedom as going back to Fivewin and DBF. Copy tables. Rename for a test. Directly access with the dBase editor without MySQLadmin.
But again, we have very different requirements than you. Our customers' networks are small, and so is the amount of data. We only allow our software to be operated with RDP access to its own server.
Best regards,
Otto
My booking system from 2004 - 20 years ago
