>This whole story is not about XBase against SQL, this oversimplifies and misleads. This story is about the simplest fact: SEEK() against base native table is the fastest way to get a record from this table. There are no rhetorics that could change this fact.

There are no rhetorics that could change the fact that this is not scalable. You cannot develop scalable apps with your way of doing things - period.

Looking at it another way, how would you respond to a client requirement for a VFP application which can be easily scaled to SQL Server? Face it Ed, you couldn't do it, and whats worse, you are not even willing to learn how.

Instead you want to hide behind a trivial argument to avoid having to learn anything new. I say trivial because the benefit (if any) gained by the speed of SEEK() is trivial if it keeps you from learning how to develop a C/S application. But, of course, you don't know this because you never have in the first place and your resistance will keep you from doing so in the future.