>Let's not forget our Open-Source friends mySQL and PostgreSQL which are also free and can be used locally or on a dedicated server.

IMO, MySQL has severe limitations which preclude it from any but the most simple of tasks. PostgreSQL would require either a TCP/IP connection to a Linux server containing PostgreSQL OR creating a Linux "window" on your WinXX installation (not dual boot) using the lastest verion(1.3.2) of Cygwin and installing Charles Wilson's Cygwin32 IPC package. Here is the URL explaining how to do this: http://people.freebsd.org/~kevlo/postgres/portNT.html

You may or may not be successful. It depends if you want to be restricted to using the library versions that Cygwin and IPC require.

You can use InterBase 6.0, which I believe is ansi92 complient. It is now free and Open Source (not GPL) for both Linux and Windows:
http://www.borland.com/about/press/2000/ib6.html

Have fun!
JLK


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>Regards,
>
>Liam
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>>You can still use SQL Server for stand alone apps. That version, which is still SQL Server, is called MSDE, and it is free. If a customer expands to many computers you can go to full blown SQL Server server with no modifications to your app.