>Strange how you are the only person who interprets it that way.

Well, I might be the only one who has said anything. I read posts all the time, particularly from your mentor JVP <s>; I jabber my opinion at the screen but, at the end of the day, I have neither the time nor the inclination to start voicing my opinion so, I don't. But every now and again ...

>We are in a FoxPro forum, not a javascript forum.

So why are you talking about C#, ADO.net and .Net then ???

>I ask anyone here, anyone, to speak if they find what I've posted patronising and elitist, then I'll agree with you.

When you start apologising to VFP developers who you feel might not "understand" your (somewhat basic - no pun intended) C# code, then I frankly couldn't care less about the point you are making but I am concerned about the picture you unwittingly or otherwise paint. I am saying that I feel most VFP developers on this forum would not have too much trouble understanding your C# code. They may not be able to write it straight-off but, they would certainly not have too much trouble *understanding* it. Do you really think otherwise? Do you really think that your posted code was that complex that you needed to apologise for it to any happless VFP developers who came upon it and may be sat there "numbed" by it? OK, sounds extreme but, you force me to make the point.

>I started this thread because people were assuming, with little proof, that Fox's local data-engine would p*ss all over ADO.Net and that it could handle strings better.

This "burden of proof" stuff just tires me . I think its fair to say that in most situations, VFP's local data engine is a whole lot more powerfull, flexible and easier to implement than ADO.net. I have no actual proof of this but, and there might be different situations where one may score over the other but, having used both, I am happy to go with my "gut feel" (on which I rely most of the time) but, the substantiation of which would be somewhat difficult. So, if you telephone me and ask me my opinion on this issue, are you saying that you will not actually accept my opinion or consider it valid in any way because unless I send you "code" to establish, beyond doubt what I have experienced? If your answer might be "Yes" to this, then I have to suggest that you get "real".

-=Gary