Hi Everyone,

I'm creating a VFP app that will connect through ODBC to a VFP DataBase located on a server. Before I start mucking around with this stuff I wanted to make sure I understand the process. I've RTFM and most of the info deals with SQL as a back-end and not VFP. If anybody has an experience or insight I would really appreciate your help. BTW- The backend will eventually be moved over to SQL server (approx. 1 year).

This is what I understand (and don't) so far.

1) Create a system DNS in ODBC administrator through the control panel that points to the server .dbc.

If the DNS does not exist it only needs to be established once, correct. Where is the best place to handle that, in a post exe in the setup? I located some code to create the DNS here on the UT to do that programaticaly. Is there a way to determine if doesn't exist?

2) Create a local .dbc for the app that has only the remote views and connection.

3) The apps local .dbc has a connection that points to the ODBC Datasource.

Do the views handle sharing the connection automatically. When a view is used the connection is opened and when the view is closed the connection is closed. If a connection is open, subsequent views share the connection. If I use SPT (I haven't yet), I just specifiy that connection and it is shared.

Is it possible to switch the connections, 1 for developing that points to a local test.dbc and 1 for the live data? I have an Environment Module that I would like to use to do this, but I'm not sure what to make it do.

4) In the apps local .dbc create all the remote views.

I have been using local views up to this point, are there any utilities that will upsize just the local views to remote or do I have to do that by hand (possibly using Erik's eView). The upsizing wizard only upsizes to SQL server correct?

Where does the processing take place. In the ODBC driver? On the server (VFP isn't installed there so how could it)? How does that effect things like triggers and field default values? Do they still fire on the remote database or do they have to be handled at the view level?

How do you manage the development process? Should I create:
MyMain.prj (includes all the forms, classlibs, reports, etc..),
MyRemoteDbc.prj (contains only the remote .dbc complete with tables, but no views),
MyAppDbc.prj (the apps local .dbc with remote views and a connection only).

What happens with things like SQL select? I'm guessing I need to create a wrapper for any selecting against the backend tables and use SPT right?

Well that's all I can think of at the moment. Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.