Hi!

I did not know if such app serve exists, but definitly you're talking about the things I was thinking about already for a long time. I even know how to implement such a server, but have no time and investors. The basic ide is easy, exactly as you described. However, when going deeper into details, I comed to the conclusion that the only simple and and money-saving way is to upload the entire EXE (or DLL or whatever modules are used by application) to the server, than download them at the client side by the loader app when they're newer. We did made this in one our app and had a great success. As about more detailed pieces of application stored at the server - this thing requires some sort of framework with the well-developed concepts.

>This might sound crazy.. so I guess I am asking if it is.. or should I go for it.. ?
>My current job requires a Internet Ready applcaiton to be used by some 50 outside sales reps. To log their calls, track sales etc. I have already written most of it using vfp and a web server. the applicaion is running great. (at least as well as an web app can ) given the somewhat limited and cumbersome method of posting web pages, waiting for a resonse, lack of data validation. and so on.
>Got me to thinking about putting out a destop verion of the applcation, using vfp as a fat client. communicating with a sql server. So I wrote it. I am so happy with the way it works, I dont think Ill be going back to using local dbf - dbc... But... and here is the trouble.
>being in business, I get requests just about every day. for added features... that , what about this or that... cant you just add a file, or a field..one sale manager, says I just want to seach on this new field... and another one says I just want a new report... and what about exporting my data to a palm...need I say more..we all go through it every day. Its what we do.(at least those of us who are internal programmers)..
>well using the web, adding a feature is not all that tough. but with a fat client, while the interface is much much better. is does somewhat restrict you from sending out weekly updates to an application as it matures...Sorry for the long story.
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>So I am now just in that thinking stage of putting my class files,- prg files, which get updated. (all my forms in a classfiles) on a sql server. and then just building an application loader, which get my application from the server, builds it on the users destop, deletes the source code... and the next time they log onto the sql server, it checks for a new version of the class and prg files, and gives them an update automatically, (whenever I put up a new version)
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>This sort of tool (application server) is not unique,in the general programming enviroment, but it appears to me to a somewhat different approach than I have heard of for VFP.
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>So, here is my question really, Does a product like this exist, ? that I can run off the shelf, with VFP - some sort of application server ? or has anyone had a simlar concern, and came up with a not so flaky way of addessing the concerns I have put out here. ? Any thoughts would be helpful.
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>Bob Lee