>Since you can't issue VALIDATE DATABASE RECOVER from within a program, how would you accomplish any DBC - DBF discrepancies? Specifically, adding an index to a table in a DBC and getting an error that the DBC is missing that (structural) index for that table?

Not sure what your environment is, but I got the following from the Novell KB [http://support.novell.com]:

When creating and closing large numbers of files, Client32 seems to corrupt FoxPro databases. The Microsoft NetWare Client does not cause the same problem. After creating over 169, 170, or 171 files, the Client doesn't seem to be able to release the file handle.

Any database that opens more than 170 files can cause corruption when using Client32. The only known database that does this is FoxPro for DOS and Visual FoxPro. Any Windows-based application, using Windows APIs should not cause this problem.

Made2Manage is one application that uses FoxPro, and opens more than 170 files.

The client was designed to only open up to 170 DOS files. This was the recommendation of the DOS developers kit. DOS under normal circumstances cannot open more than 170 files, but some Microsoft applications do exceed this limit.

In the NetWare 5 release of the Novell Client for WIN95 a new setting has been added under Advanced Settings: Use Extended File Handles. This setting is off by default. Some DOS applications such as Fox Pro will require this setting to be set to ON, and that the MAXIMUM FILE LOCKS PER CONNECTION is set at the server for the number of file locks required by the application and client.