I have a legacy DOS application that I am rewriting with Postgresql as the back-end. The system was written in Foxpro2.6 for DOS and uses xBase tables. The new database is set up and running on an Ubuntu server. The programs have been completed that migrate the data to the Postgresql database. Now it's time to write the interfaces. I would like to move the system to Java as a server side project instead of using the latest version of Foxpro and being tied to Microsoft Terminal server. Even moving between the DOS software and the Windows Foxpro the system will require a complete rewrite of all programs because of the move to postgresql as the data source.

My question is how bad is the learning curve on Java? I've had Java programming classes and didn't have a problem with the language but I didn't use Java prior to this year so I don't know anything about Java frameworks. I've written in many languages but have not built a modern server side application. What I work on now are fat client applications and that is the thing we are trying to move away from.

My goal is to decide if I need to stick with Foxpro so that I can get the data into a real database or if there's a chance the Java wouldn't take too much longer than rewriting into Visual Foxpro. The application is a production tracking system with 20 edit screens and 150 reports. The screens used on the production floor are touch driven. It will reside on a local LAN which is also accessed by VPN from another facility. This application will not be on the Internet, it is Intranet or Terminal server only.

Any opinions and comments would be appreciated.