Hi Cecil

>I am not sure exactly what comes with VFP 9.0, but I think it is MSDE version of SQL Server.

Yes, it's MSDE, the "lite" version of SQL Server 2000.

>I would like to install a developer's version of SQL Server. Would I be better off installing SQL Server 2005 Express to use with VFP 9.0 ...

SQL Server Express isn't a "developer's version". SQL Server 2005 Developer is. It's equivalent to SQL Server Enterprise Edition and is affordable at $49.95.

>or use the SQL MSDE on the VFP 9.0 installation CD?

Why start out learning something that is out-of-date?

> For some reason I thought that a Developer's Edition of SQL Server was on the VFP 9.0 CD.
>
>I am using Jim Duffy's ( http://www.takenote.com ) course work to walk through ODBC setup which I've done in the past, but I want to follow exactly what he does.

ODBC setup through the Windows Administrative Tools > Data Sources (ODBC) is the same whether you're using any version of SQL Server, or any other ODBC compliant database.