I have been recently playing with VB and the new MSDE (a cut down version of SQLS) and was quite surprised by the results.

I create a VFP database with a single table with a single field (a text field 32 characters long).

I then promptly populated it with 87,000-odd records.

The VFP data files took around 1.3mb of disk space.

I then used the VFP Upsizing Wizard to upsize the VFP database to SQLS (MSDE in this case).

The SQLS data files took around 8.5mb of disk space.

I then tested the relative speed of database access VFP v VB by using the form wizards in the repsective development environment.

VFP responded as usual and there was no noticable delay in accessing data.

VB build a data form using ADO. While the performance of the form once data was loaded was comparable to VFP there was a considerable delay when the form was run as the query was executed.

My questions for discussion are these:

1. Does SQLS use much more disk space than VFP when storing data?
2. Is the delay in loading forms in VB normal - or was the delay due to the method used in the form wizard code?
3. Where is the logic in MS promoting Access/VB/SQLS when VFP is clearly so superior in desktop and shared database applications?

David Turnedge