John - when the user installs an update, is it their launching of the EXE the event that fires the script, or is it run as admin-type function separate from the running of the 'user' app? (are they admin/security issues as to who can 'alter' the database?) Are u using sql express? And what version of .Net are you developing with?
Thanks...

>We test for the existence of everything and then either run or not run as the case may be. Every script run drops all of the indexes and rebuilds to keep the size down.
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>>Are you controlling the firing of the script so that it runs once, or is the script written such that multiple runs are not a problem with tests for the presence of changes included in the script? I assume there's a exclusive use issue on the sql database as well. Are u using a semaphore lock of some kind to keep users out while the script runs? Is the app launching the script at start up, or is this a separate process run externally from the app?
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>>>I can tell you what happens at one of the projects I do now, Java/SQL. Whenver a developer makes a schema change to the database, they add to a script in Sourcesafe that contains any necessary changes.
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>>>This script becomes part of the upgrade process. It will contain any alter statements necessary. For example, the last upgrade we did I needed to add a field to the state table that contained a code for IRS 1099 processing. So I created added to the script the alter statement to add the column, as well as the update statements to populate the column according the IRS 1099 document.
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>>>>What process do you follow and how painless is it to update a client's sql express database (new fields, new tables, ...) as new versions of the app are released, similar to what Doug's Stonefield product does for VFP databases?
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>>>>>My point was (and is), that on a new project, I would not chose VFP tables as my backend DB, even for a small app. I'd use sql express. I used it twice last year and was happy with it. I'm disappointed with the provider for VFP, and I miss out on the t-sql '05 constructs that yield additional productivity.
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