Hi UTers,

Many thanks to all of the UT participants that
guided my efforts in dealing with free tables (FPW2.6, pre dbc days) in an ADO.net world.
Including but not limited to:
Kevin McNeish, Cathi Gero, Rick Strahl, Cetin Basoz, Rip Ryness,
Bonnie (from 90 degrees), Morgan Everett and
Paul Mrozowski.

Rick Strahl and Cathi Gero provided the white papers
that were the basis of the classes below, namely:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/?url=/library/en-us/dnfoxgen7/html/usingaspnetwithvfp7.asp
http://www.west-wind.com/presentations/VfpDotNetInterop/vfpDotNetInterop.htm

After reading through my classes, could someone show me how I can bring them into alignment with
the Mere Mortals framework. As you can see, I am not using the CurrentDataSet, but a temporary dataset (oDS)
to save the present state of the web page's textboxes followed by bringing the free table into sync with oDS.
I use a non-mere mortal connection object and data adapter as my "data retrieval" mechanism, thereby bypassing all of the
functionality of SAVING the state and data made available by the Mere Mortal framework's business objects.


I instantiate my free table class in the web form's page_load event as follows:

// instantiate object for FreeTable handling
  this.oFreeTable = new FreeTable();

The click event of my web page' s Save button is shown below:

private void btnSave_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
			
		
	                       string lcID;
			lcID = this.mycustid;

			if	( !this.oFreeTable.LoadPatient(lcID) )  
			{
				this.lblErrorMessage.Text = oFreeTable.cErrormsg;
				return;
			}
			
			///
			          
                                
			/// Update the DataRow of the arypat01 free table with
                                  /// the current values in the web page's textboxes.
			DataRow oRow     = this.oFreeTable.oDS.Tables["arypat01"].Rows[0];
			oRow["custid"]   = this.txtcustid.Text;
			oRow["custphon"] = this.txthomephone.Text;
			oRow["custname"] = this.txtfirstname.Text;
			oRow["title"]    = this.txtlastname.Text;
			oRow["appts"]    = this.txtappts.Text;
			
	
			/// Save the row into the dataset 
			if (!this.oFreeTable.SavePatient())
			{
				this.lblErrorMessage.Text = oFreeTable.cErrormsg;
			}
			else
			{
				// 
				this.lblSuccess.Text = "Record Saved...";
			}


		

}
			

using System;
using System.Data;
using System.Data.OleDb;

using System.Text;

namespace eCentric.GMG.Data.FreeTable
{
	/// <summary>
	/// Summary description for FreeTable.
	/// </summary>
	/// Many thanks to all of the UT participants that
	/// guided my efforts in dealing with free tables in an ADO.net world.
	/// Including but not limited to:
	/// Kevin McNeish, Cathi Gero, Rick Strahl, Cetin Basoz, Rip Ryness, 
	/// Bonnie (from 90 degrees), Morgan Everett and 
	/// Paul Mrozowski.
	/// 
	/// Rick Strahl and Cathi Gero provided the white papers
	/// that were the basis of the classes below, namely:
	/// http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/?url=/library/en-us/dnfoxgen7/html/usingaspnetwithvfp7.asp
	/// http://www.west-wind.com/presentations/VfpDotNetInterop/vfpDotNetInterop.htm
	///   
	/// <summary>
	/// Summary description for FreeTable.
	/// </summary>
	public class FreeTable : FreeTableBusObj 
	{

		protected string FreeTableDataPath          ="";
		protected string FreeTableName              ="";
		protected string FreeTablePseudoPrimaryKey  ="";
		protected string FreeTableDataEnvironment   ="";
		        

		public FreeTable()
		{
			// set up the properties for Free Table data access
		    this.FreeTableDataPath="c:\\gmgwin\\main\\";
     	    this.FreeTableName="arypat01";
			this.FreeTablePseudoPrimaryKey="custid";
			this.cConnectString = @"Provider=vfpoledb.1;Data Source="+FreeTableDataPath;
			this.FreeTableDataEnvironment="SET NULL OFF\r\nSET DELETED ON";
		}


		protected override bool Open()
		{
			if (base.Open()) 
			{
				try 
				{
					// set up FreeTable Environment
					OleDbCommand oCommand = new OleDbCommand();
					oCommand.Connection = this.oConn;
					oCommand.CommandText = this.FreeTableDataEnvironment;
					oCommand.ExecuteNonQuery();
				}
				catch(Exception ex) 
				{
					this.SetError(ex.Message);
					return false;
				}
				return true;
			}

			return false;
		}

		public bool LoadPatient(string lcID)
		{

			int lnCount = this.Execute("select * from " + 
				this.FreeTableDataPath + this.FreeTableName + " where " + 
				this.FreeTablePseudoPrimaryKey + "='" + lcID + "'",this.FreeTableName);

			if (this.lError) 
			{
				return false;
			}

			return true;
		}

		public bool SavePatient()
		{

			if (!this.Open()) 
			{
				return false;
			}

			OleDbDataAdapter oDSAdapter = new OleDbDataAdapter("select * from " +
				this.FreeTableDataPath + this.FreeTableName,this.oConn);

			////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
			/// This builds the Update/InsertCommands for the data adapter
			/// NOTE: THIS DOESN'T WORK WITH THE VFP 8 OleDb Driver
			//OleDbCommandBuilder oCmdBuilder = new OleDbCommandBuilder(oDSAdapter);
			//oDSAdapter.UpdateCommand = oCmdBuilder.GetUpdateCommand();
			////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
						
			// So instead I have to manually build the update statement
			/// *or* I can simply issue the UpdateCommand directly over a connection
			DataRow oRow = this.oDS.Tables[this.FreeTableName].Rows[0];
			
			string lcSQL = "UPDATE " + this.FreeTableDataPath + this.FreeTableName  + 
                           " SET " + 
                           "custphon=" + "'" + oRow["custphon"].ToString() + "', "  +
                           "custname=" + "'" + oRow["custname"].ToString() + "', "  +
                           "title="    + "'" + oRow["title"].ToString()    + "', "  +
                           "appts="    + "'" + oRow["appts"].ToString()    + "' "   +
                           " where "+ this.FreeTablePseudoPrimaryKey + "='" + 
				            oRow["custid"].ToString()+ "'";
		
           
			oDSAdapter.UpdateCommand =  new OleDbCommand(lcSQL,this.oConn);

			int lnRows = 0;
			try 
			{
				/// Take the changes in the dataset over to the database
				lnRows = oDSAdapter.Update(this.oDS,this.FreeTableName);
				
				// or send update command across the connection
				//oDSAdapter.UpdateCommand.ExecuteNonQuery();

			}
			catch(Exception e)
			{
				this.cErrormsg = e.Message;
				return false;
			}

			return true;
		}
		
		public bool AddPatient()
        // skel code as of 10/30/2003.
        // no patient INSERTs via web as of 10/30/2003.
        // to be added at a later date.

		{

			if (!this.Open()) 
			{
				return false;
			}

			OleDbCommand oCommand = new OleDbCommand();
			oCommand.Connection = this.oConn;
			oCommand.CommandText = "InsertPatient()";


			try 
			{
				oCommand.ExecuteNonQuery();
			}
			catch(Exception ex)
			{
				this.SetError(ex.Message);
				return false;
			}
			
			return true;
		}


		public bool DeletePatient(string lcId)
		{

			int lnResult = this.ExecuteNonQuery("delete from "+ 
				this.FreeTableDataPath+this.FreeTableName + " where "+ 
				this.FreeTablePseudoPrimaryKey +"='" + lcId +"'");

			if (lnResult == -1)
				return false;

			return true;
		}
	}


	/// <summary>
	/// Helper Business Object
	/// </summary>
	public class FreeTableBusObj
	{
		public string cConnectString =	"";

		/// these properties along with Open,Close,Load,Save really belong
		/// in a data wrapper or high level business object. 
		/// 
		public OleDbConnection oConn		=	null;
		public DataSet	oDS					=   null;
		public string cErrormsg				=   "";
		public bool lError					=   false;


		public FreeTableBusObj()
		{
		}

		/// *********************
		/// DATA UTILITY ROUTINES	
		/// *********************
		/// 
		/// <summary>
		/// Sets up the connection for a query
		/// </summary>
		/// <returns></returns>
		protected virtual bool Open()
		{
			/// create if it doesn't exist already
			if (this.oConn == null) 
			{
				try 
				{
					this.oConn = new OleDbConnection(this.cConnectString);
				}
				catch(Exception e)
				{
					this.SetError( e.Message );
					return false;
				}
			}

			/// check if connection is open - if not open it
			if (this.oConn.State != ConnectionState.Open) 
			{
				try 
				{
					oConn.Open();
				}
				catch(Exception e)
				{
					this.SetError( e.Message );
					return false;
				}
			}

			/// make sure our dataset object exists
			if (oDS == null) 
				oDS = new DataSet();

			return true;
		}

		protected virtual bool Close() 
		{
			if (oConn.State == ConnectionState.Open)
				try 
				{
					oConn.Close();
				}
				catch(Exception e)
				{
					this.SetError( e.Message );
					return false;
				}

			return true;
		}

		/// <summary>
		///  Executes a Select statement that returns a cursor.
		/// </summary>
		/// <param name="lcSQL"></param>
		/// <param name="lcCursor"></param>
		/// <returns></returns>
		public virtual int Execute(string lcSQL, string lcCursor)
		{
			if (!this.Open()) 
				return 0;

			OleDbDataAdapter oDSAdapter = new OleDbDataAdapter();
			oDSAdapter.SelectCommand = 
				new OleDbCommand(lcSQL,oConn);

			
			/// remove the table if it exists - fail and ignore
			try 
			{
				oDS.Tables.Remove(lcCursor);
			}
			catch(Exception) { }  // Ignore the error
	
			try 
			{
				oDSAdapter.Fill(oDS,lcCursor);
			}
			catch(Exception e)
			{
				this.SetError(e.Message);
				return 0;
			}

			return oDS.Tables[lcCursor].Rows.Count;
		}

		public virtual int ExecuteNonQuery(string lcCommand)
		{
			if (!this.Open()) 
				return -1;

			OleDbCommand oCommand = new OleDbCommand(lcCommand,this.oConn);

			int lnResult;
			try 
			{
				lnResult = oCommand.ExecuteNonQuery();
			}
			catch(Exception ex)
			{
				this.cErrormsg = ex.Message;
				return -1;
			}

			return lnResult;
		}

		protected virtual void SetError(string lcErrormsg)
		{
			if (lcErrormsg.Length == 0) 
			{
				cErrormsg = "";
				lError = false;
				return;
			}

			cErrormsg = lcErrormsg;
			lError = true;
		}
	}
}

Thanx,
Neil