Brenda,

>What exactly does the following install? Will I be able to code and test a SQL Server backend database with my VFP code?

Yes, that does install a limited version of SQL Server that can be used for testing. Getting your data structure and data into it is another story, as the others have pointed out, since it has no management tools included with it. However, there were some posts a good while back about a public-domain management tool for MSDE. I'll see what I can find, or perhaps someone else will chime in here with details.