>Hi Mark:
> I can access the Computerease datafiles from Access,however, I wanted to eliminated the third step and go directly from Fox to connect to the computerease datafiles. As you mention earlier that I can get to Access datafiles from VFP app. the same way I do with Fox. Correct me if I am worng. (1). Just use the Microsoft Access ODBC Driver to create a DSN in the ODBC then create a connection in the VFP DBC . Is the process same as createing in VFP by establishing Sql connection and SQL passthrough.
>
>Thanks Mark.
>MA

What ODBC driver are you using in Access to read the Computerease data? If you are using the Access ODBC Driver to read Access data, why? Why wouldn't you just use Acces to read the Computerease data directly?

In VFP, you would use the same ODBC driver to read the Computerease data as you are using in Access. When you create the connection in VFP, you would then select the ODBC DSN.

I guess you could also use the Access database you created with links as a gateway [intermediary] to the Computerease data. You would have a second DSN that the VFP connection uses to connect to the Access database. Access would use the first DSN you created to read the Computerease data.

I believe we are at the point where you are just going to have to resort to trial-and-error testing. My question as what kind of data is in the DAT files still stands. Are they delimited text files? Fixed length text files? DBF files that can be opened with the VFP command USE MYFILE.DAT? Other?