>Hi
>Maybe it is a 'data engine' after all, an "in memory database", but is possible to acces local data without loading everything in memory?

Well, if you want to do xBase like row by row processing, no. Although, when you USE a table and process it row by row you are pulling stuff into memory.

But, you could write VFP SP's in your database to do these large data processing tasks.

>If is so good, why so many "database engines" for NET?

There is ONE data access strategy which connections to many data providers, SQL Server being one, OLE-DB being another. Any data source can be read into a DataReader or DataSet to be used. It is a disconnected design which is solid for distributed applications.

>Can I search in a dataset table like in Foxpro? I mean in a fast,indexed way, without loading all table into memory. Or how to persist often used data locally and avoid unnecessary network traffic?

You can search in the dataset as if it were a table, yes. But, if you want to 'search' the whole datatable you're better off with a query, putting the [small] results into a DataSet.

>I can bind a Foxpro grid into a 3000 records table in no time because it

What do you need 3000 records in a grid for? The phone book fits millions of names, but I bet you nver want to look at more than a few dozen of them at a time. How? You do a 'query' but looking at the 'index' and finding the right page/column of names, then you look at that. In a distributed app you do the same thing... ask the user for the City, and first few letters of the last name, the query the data, put the 50 or so records in a grid and let them pick one, then use that id to get the rull record.

>loads only the visible part of the grid from disk. Is somthing like this possible in NET? I'm just curios, I don't have a negative attitude, because I like C# and I want to learn it.

USE ing a table and 'binding' to a grid is not even a best practice in a VFP app these days.

>In this article MSDE or SQL Server CE are recommended.
>http://builder.com.com/5100-6387-1058880.html

Sure, cause it is pretty ubiquitious. However, if you want to use DBF or MDB is just as doable and works with basically the same code, you just use a different provider.

>But already are many engines with native managed providers for NET. It is sad (for me) that Foxpro engine is not one of them

Yea, I'd like to see a native managed provider for VFP data, that would be cool!!! Of course, Codebase makes one, you just have to pay for it.

BOb