>>If you have to be so strict, why not just open the table shared but immediately issue a flock() on the table? This would prevent all other users from editing, deleting or updating the table, but would not prevent everyone from retrieving the data for reporting purposes.
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>>That said, I think this could be done better with better multi-user app design. Are all 15 files identical? [i.e., each user has their own file for entering ther own data sets] Then at some point all the files are combined or have all their data retrieved for reports?
>
>Hi Mark,
>All the files ARE identical. Any user can & does do work in any of the files constantly throughout the day. When a user is updating info, the app locks the record so as not to have 2 people updating the same rcord at the same time. It's mainly a real time environment. So for me and the mgrs to grab this 'live' data I should issue a flock() ?
>PS, I am about to visit my sisterinlaw in Mckinney, TX, know where that is?

Yes, I know exactly where McKinney is. About an hour drive from where I am.

What I suggested was to NOT open the tables exclusively. Open them as shared, but issue a FLOCK() command to lock the entire table for that particular user. This would at least allow admin users the ability to open those same tables to retrieve whatever data you need for the reports. At the same time this prevents other users from modifying a table some other user has opened and issued a FLOCK() on.