Hi,
>>1. Local View and Visual FoxPro Data as back end.
>>If you do not call Requery(), does Visual FoxPro still automatically update the view from the data source on some periodic basis?

If you are using row buffering (which is default buffering setting for view), your data will be updated to back end data source automatically once your record pointer moved. OTOH, table buffering, you got to call TABLEUPDATE(). This apply to remove view as well.

>>When you have a local view, is it a must that the Visual FoxPro table(s) on which the view is based have to be open all the time?

VFP will open your foxpro table automatically.

HTH