>But why not just use \\the_server\app_dir\data\applications.dbc anyway? I don't see the enhancement for keeping it {dbc} local? That speed as compared to opening the tables and executing any / every view based sql? The worst performance is opening the tables. IMHO

The whole point is to get around the 1709 (Database object is in use by another) error. If you have never had a problem with this error, you are lucky. It happens when to people open a view at the same exact time. VFP locks the view definitio record in the dbc momentarily while opening it, and so if your system has a lot of users using the same forms or views, you are likely to get this error from time to time. Implementing a scheme where no workstation shared its view definitions with any other workstation would bypass the problem.