Do I understand that I must store the changes back to the database myself? How is this
done? There could be any number of records and field changed. Is there any way to do
this automatically?



>XmlUpdateGram() function creates an updategram (needs multilocks and buffering). That is it only includes updated/inserted/deleted records as updgram:before and after records. Suppose you updated customer table and changed company field, deleted ANATR and inserted NEWCUS. XmlUpdateGram('customer') produces an output like:
>

><?xml version = "1.0" encoding="Windows-1252" standalone="yes"?>
><root xmlns:updg="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:xml-updategram">
>	<updg:sync>
>		<updg:before>
>			<customer>
>				<cust_id>ALFKI</cust_id>
>				<company>Alfreds Futterkiste</company>
>* other fields here
>			</customer>
>		</updg:before>
>		<updg:after>
>			<customer>
>				<cust_id>ALFKI</cust_id>
>				<company>Alfreds Futterkiste-Updated</company>
>* other fields here
>			</customer>
>		</updg:after>
>		<updg:before>
>			<customer>
>* all fields here - unmodified
>			</customer>
>		</updg:before>
>		<updg:after/>
>		<updg:before/>
>		<updg:after>
>			<customer>
>				<cust_id>NEWCUS</cust_id>
>* other fields here
>			</customer>
>		</updg:after>
>	</updg:sync>
></root>
>

Instead of receiving the whole table diffgram approach only gets 'differences' IOW. On receving side you have to process this yourself however (ie: XMLDocument). VFP9 CA and XMLAdapter might help you to work with them in an easier way. Check www.prenia.com for samples.
>Cetin
>
>
>>The reason I'm using COM is because I will need to update the
>>application piece by piece. I don't want everything compiled
>>into one big EXE.
>>
>>Can you elaborate on the DiffGram option?
>>
>>
>>
>>>Hmm that in turn would bring up other questions. Ways to go are more than one and which one to choose depends. ie: One scenario:
>>>
>>>Instead of CursorToXml and XmlTocursor you might choose ADO and pass an ADO recordset instead.
>>>Another one is to pass a diffgram instead of all rows using CursorToXML and XMLToCursor.
>>>Yet another one might be passing just an array of records that are updated/added/deleted with flags.
>>>
>>>Actually first I would think of "do I really want to talk between COM objects or even do I want a single COM object in my application" - sounds like I don't like COM objects:) Really I don't, too much problems with them for me (call it DLL hell, security etc etc).
>>>
>>>If one of them can connect to data why would other one cannot and a need for 2 evils?
>>>Cetin
>>>
>>>>Thanks. This brings up another question.
>>>>
>>>>I want to use CURSORTOXML() and XMLTOCURSOR() to pass data to and
>>>>from COM objects.
>>>>
>>>>Once I make changes to data and convert it to XML, and after I use
>>>>XMLTOCURSOR() to create a cursor, whats the best way to update the
>>>>database?
>>>>
>>>>I am using a VFP database now, with possible plans later to convert
>>>>to SQL Server.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>>For the 'nOutputFormat', 'nFlags', 'cSchemaName', 'cSchemaLocation', and 'cNameSpace'
>>>>>>parameters, are there any standards as far as what settings I should use?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I am only using the command to pass data back & forth between COM objects.
>>>>>
>>>>>If there were standards there wouldn't be flags;)
>>>>>nOutputFormat: 2 or 3 are my favorites. More compact.
>>>>>nFlags: 1 to make it compact.
>>>>>For others it depends. Probably "1" inline schema would be good.
>>>>>
>>>>>With these settings:
>>>>>CursorToXml('myAlias','myMemvar',2,1,0,"1")
>>>>>would create a compact XML with inline schema and store in m.myMemvar and IMHO is good for your need.
>>>>>Cetin