Bill, I hope this helps.
Your question, has been debated over the past year many different times, so I dont suppose that my answer will be the only one, but one of many.

Since you asked the question about stability, (stupid user stuff, and how to protect from it) and is sql better than, dbc/dbf's Well sort of. By design.
If a user - on his/her workstation, shuts off their machine, with a dbf open, as you know the dbf could become corrputed, where if they were connected to a sql type server, nothing would happen to the server data. they would just be disconnected. thats it.
now if a stupid user shuts the power off the sql server. I couldnt answer that one. its never happend to me (kocking on wood) Now machines, NT or otherwise are not perfect, and disk drives do go out, and power outages do happen. So of course you do your best, back up and install ups's But I can tell you, I have not had to recreate a sql server file, becuase of a stupid workstation user, but I have had to using networked drives accessing dbf's dbc.

But I belive that you are asking the wrong question. SQL server technology is in my opinion, Better. Far better, Based on the two or three tier approach of communicating between workstation and server, but also, the ability to create client server apps and the ability of using a simple dial up access does become a reality. However, there is a big big gotcha.

It takes more time to develop a client server - sql based app than a standard app. considering the learing curve that you have to go through getting up to speed on real sql, and how to make it fly. however once you develop one, and have your own lib constructed, the time to develop it again, is about the same as dbf solution. For me, it took almost as much time, to get a real handle on client server, from dbf's as it did going from dos, to windows 95 and oop.

Sorry for long reply, but this is my suggestion, learn about it, install msde, for free, and get to know it. VFP7 is shipping with it. I for one say sql all the way. any sql based solution over dbf's these days. In my experience, the perform better, and are more stable than opening shared flat files.

Maybe not for this application- depending on how soon you need it completed, but sql based solutions I feel is the way many developers are going. for good reasons. VFP is a great front end to that type of solution.
Bob Lee

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>I'm re-developing an older DOS-based Foxpro system. The app will have approx. 50-80 tables, with some of the tables containing 1-3 million records.

>If you have a recommendation, base it on the fact that I have no experience with SQL databases - all my apps over the years, DOS or VFP, have used Fox tables.
>
>Thanks,
>Bill