>I consider a flat file basic text that does not have the extensive header that a DBF would have. Nor does a flat file usually have associated CDX and FPT files.
>
>I guess that was my point. Sure I can get a comma delimited flat file with proper data and THAT would be a flat file. The only way to access that data is read it sequentially and strip out data records I need. A DBF allows much more.
>
>It could be a case of what you consider a "flat file". I'm not going to argue over symantics.
>
>Have a good one.
>
>Alan Wyne

I agree with that. I don't think 'flat file' was really "the" issue in this thread as much as client/side processing of remotely stored data. It does cause traffic and there is nothing you can do about that. Yes, it is limited by correct indexing, etc. However, if all the processing was done on the machine where the data was, either through a com object or just running this task on the server, it would reduce all that network traffic. This is esentially what SQL server does.

BOb