Thanks Jose, that is just what I needed to know. I thought there might be a way using diffgrams and merges to maintain the small amount of data that will be used in XML format only. Since they have no Windows servers, I am going to have to install MSDE on somebody's Win98 workstation and have that be used as the central repository. Hopefully it won't hang this persons machine while they are doing their regular duties. The client will not purchase an W2K server, they are strictly Novell. If they don't approve of this method, then I guess I won't get the job.

Thanks again !!!

Best Regards,
Jace


>Hi Jace
>
>In my opinion, an XML text file is not intended as a data repository (handling such things as multi-user updates) but rather as an output, or a data transport format.
>
>There are some XML-based DBMS engines, but they are in no way text-file-based.
>
>The "requirement" of implementing the app that way seems rather bizarre.. ¿which is the real functional requirement?.
>If some external app / system requires such file as an input, and you want to keep it to date at all times, you could a DBMS like SQL Server and provide a way to rebuild the file on each update; even a trigger could do the trick.
>
>Even better would be to provide the XML not as a static file but rather as a dynamic Web page, and use ASP.NET or whatever you like for creating it on request.
>
>Hope this helps and bye
>Jose