I wonder if a DBA can "see" from the SQL Server end if the application (e.g. my VFP application) has a connection to the server or not. In this case, what you are saying makes a lot of sense. Since I understand that every connection to the SQL server takes some resources from the server and DBA would be happy if the resources are used sparingly. I guess I won't find out exactly how it works and/or how a DBA views a VFP application until I deploy one.

Thank you.

>I've read somewhere that it's a good idea to close the connection when you're done with it and reopen it when you need it again
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>If you have a class, it could close the connection after each request - but then it may close/open too many times if you have successive operations
>I think that IdleTimeOut does that for you.
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>Kind of algorithm saying that : if I haven't done anything in the last minute, the odds are that I may not need the connection in the next few minutes or so. In that case I'll close it and reopen it when the next request comes
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>You, using the connection, may know better and be able to tell it when to close (and when not to). That is more granular.
>When you use IdleTimeOut, you don't have to think
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>>It does seem like this is how it works. And if so, this is fine with me. But I am just wondering, what is the purpose of setting the idletime out? That is, what does the application achieve by that?
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>>And as always, thank you for your input.
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>>>The way I understand it is the vfp will disconnect after the IdleTimeOut, ie closing the connection
>>> But after that, if you to any operation that is using the handle, it automatically reconnects
>>>