Bob,

>I was talking about heavy local data massaging

Well, my current work replaces a VFP/SQL system that did what you describe above and we are having absolutely no problems doing what the old system did and more. When the data hits the client, you can still process, mung and massage it <s>.

>and XML and ADO recordsets don't get me excited.

XML should get you excited. The fact that it isn't used in VFP is neither here nor there. When you step out of the Fox Box, XML is ubiquitous, omnipresent and in just about every other type of system development out there. This is another of example of "if it isn't used heavily or at all in VFP, then it’s of no interest to me".

Finally, there are no recordsets in ADO.Net - they are in vanilla ADO.

These two issues alone suggest to me that you really should get a reality check.

Best