>>>I am writing a small gradebook app that will be distributed widely and needs to be almost bomb proof. In this case, could free tables be a better choice than tables in a DBC since I don't need long names or stored procedures? What is the downside?
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>>You would also lose RI. I consider this part very important. Also, you can't have default values for fields - very useful for "auto-incremented" fields, for VFP versions older than 8.0.
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>Gracias Hilmar. The goal is to minimize tech support required since many users will be teachers out in the boonies. What else would I be giving up?
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>Alex

I am not sure of the complete list; check the manuals. I don't have VFP at this machine. What comes to my mind now is:

Long field names.

Validation rules, for fields and records (I don't use these - I prefer triggers).

Referential integrity (RI).

Triggers. Important to update a second table with changes in a first. Triggers are used for RI.

Free tables can't participate in transactions.

Field comments - useful for documentation.

There may be a few other options, but this is enough to use a database even for a relatively small system.

Hilmar.

Difference in opinions hath cost many millions of lives: for instance, whether flesh be bread, or bread be flesh; whether whistling be a vice or a virtue; whether it be better to kiss a post, or throw it into the fire... (from Gulliver's Travels)