>>You'd be better off creating the data file as just that, data, and then using a robust cryptological mechanism, such as the Win32 CryptoAPI, to handle encryption and decryption of the data values.
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>Is this relatively easy to learn? (the encryption and decryption)

The concepts are fairly straightforward, and with VFP7, there are wrapper classes on the CryptoAPI provided as a part of the FFC. OTOH, the subjects of cryptological security and integrity are very complex - they keep a number of very large government agencies fully employed... < g >

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>>It seems like a poorly considered approach.
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>Any other suggestions Ed, or will the data file suggestion work well?

The data file approach seems best - you have any number of means of securing the data both internally like the CryptoAPI or something like CRYPT.FLL (a less complex or comprehensive encryption mechanism in wide circulation in the FOx community) or externally (eg Zip files with a password) to handle the protection of the data, that's independent of the process of code compilation - you face the uphill battle that we don't have decompilation or decryption built into VFP.