>>I have a situation where I have found out that the primary table for an 6.0 application I'm developing needs to be accessed by DOS 2.6 applications during night processing for a voice message system. They are not able to read the 6.0 tables. I have developed the project using the primary base table in the DBC and as the starting point for all the subsequent views, data environments and forms. I wasn't aware that views could be developed from a free table, but I was directed to another application that the client has that does this. Unfortunately the person who developed it simply created everything outside the project manager with a 2.6 mindset then only used the project to hold prgs and kick off the program; not the best example to try and resolve my problem. I have always used the project manager for my development and really am out of my element beyond that. Anyone know how I begin doing this? Thanks!
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>>Regards, Renoir
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>Start out by removing the table from the DBC. This will remove the backlink information in the DBF header. It will also make it so your field names no longer support long filed names so you may have to modify your VFP 6 code to accomodate that.
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>Check to make sure FPW 2.6 can access your table. If not, use the COPY command with the TYPE FOX2X clause to make a FPW version of the file. Delete the VFP version and rename the new copy. Now you will be able to access it with both systems.
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>The View Designer gives you the ability to select freee tables when selecting tables. On the Table Selection dialog, select Other and choose the free table. Once the tables are selected, it acts no differently. The only stored in the DBC will be the view. The table will not.
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>You can create free tables through the PM by highlighting Free Tables on the Data tab and selecting New to create a new one or Add if you have already created on.
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>HTH.

Thanks Larry!

That's exactly what I was looking for... I went throught the steps above and everything seems to be fine. Both systems read the file and all I needed to do was rebuild a couple views and locate the free table when I first modified some forms in development (dataenvironment was looking for it).

Are there any issues I need to be aware of by using my using a free table as my base table for the application like indexing, etc. ?

Renoir