Hi Dennis

Unless you buy SQL Server you will not have processing done on the server.

File sharing isn't a bad thing. Opening a table in VFP and all other dBase languages does not bring the entire file from the server to the workstation. If they did they would never have been used. Even with SQL server, if you SELECT * FROM MASTERTABLE it can take a long time. Just try the code I gave you and see. 100 users is nothing to VFP.

Using ODBC with remote views to access Fox data on the server is not making the server do the processing. You are only making it easier to use SQL Server later (if your current SQL commands are 100% compatible with SQL Server)

Don't open MasterTable and close it each time you run this process. That will be slower. Open it when your application starts and close it when the application closes.

This is the code to run when you want to take a record.

IF NOT SEEK( "N" )
WAIT WINDOW "NONE TAKEN!"
RETURN .F.
ENDIF
IF !RLOCK()
RETURN .F.
ENDIF
REPLACE TAKEN WITH .T.
RETURN .T.

>Hi Mike!
>
>So I will have to put method code put in the form interface of the user that will go something like this?:
>
>USE Mastertable ORDER NOTTAKEN
>SEEK( "N" )
>... LOCK RECORD THEN REPLACE TAKEN WITH .T.
>USE
>
>The above would mean that the 100 or so users will be opening the same mastertable simultaneously. Would that be a problem as far as hogging network resources is concerned? Is that not 'file-sharing'? (as opposed to client/server)
>
>Thanks very much for your help! looking forward to hear from you soonest!
>
>Dennis