>In general, SQL Server or Express will require a lot less user intervention than VFP tables until you get to an application far in excess of anything VFP could handle. For instance, I have about 40 liquor stores in Kansas alone running SQL Express with a combination of applications from Microsoft and my company. These are mostly mom-and-pop one or 2 cash POS stores that we usually only hear from when hardware breaks or they decide to splurge on an upgrade. The database just keeps on running.
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>Corrupted tables? We left them with VFP tables back at the turn of the century. Seriously.

Sounds good. I am currently thinking Python + Sqlite, but I'll look at X + SQL Server Express.
P.S. Last corruption reported to me with VFP tables was after a lightning strike back in the 1990s, so I'll not contemplating this happening often. Depends how 'often' often is.