>I don't know if what I am proposing is actually n-tier or not, or exactly client-server. I'll tackle the last piece first ... Foxpro already IS client-server: there is a piece that runs on the client and the data resides on the server. And n-tier usually involves building layers which extend upward from the data to the user interface.

The layers are not related only to GUI. You can separate layers in com objects, where to put data processing, business logic, and last tier closest to user is UI (web or standard). We have just finished billing of system (which is client-server and a part of it is web-based), where the lowest tier is data processing - with jfox.exe - something like small FP server and query trnsiver, next tier contains business rules and next is visualization - standard and web.

>I wonder if instead of using a tree as an n-tier metaphor, if I would consider perhaps branches extending outward, with "function servers" growing outward. Foxpro programs on servers could function like remote procedures, and then perform a great deal of operations on what that particular server would see as "local" data. The advantage is of course to do as much processing as possible on the machine where the data resides, and only return the result.

Yes if database is root, we make some tiers like trunk - they are done in a way that they need root (it doesn't matter what is it - SQLServer, FVP DBFs, Oracle, Sybase EAS and we test it with MySQL, but it has a lot of limitation as a database server) and different brunches with business rules and leafs - UI (users like or doesn't like it) - the user see only this leafs, what is hidden down they usually couldn't understand.

>In the final example, it would be like Oracle in a way, that the processing occurs on the machine where the data is located. The ability to execute commands the way Foxweb executes a .FWX file would be comparable to stored procedures in Oracle.

Of course, all client-server applications should be done in that way. User through UI send a queries, which are executed on the server and visualize final result, transferring a small amount of data through LAN, WAN, WEB.... XML is a good step ahead in development of n-tier applications.

>The difference would be that one would have all the flexibility of the Foxpro environment... kind of like a new product called "Foxpro Server" hee hee.
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>...Art