Hi Ken, thanks for replying.

Following your suggestion I got to "Revolutionary File Storage System Lets Users Search and Manage Files Based on Content" ( http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/04/01/WinFS/default.aspx ) by Richard Grimes.

I found it really interesting, but some points weren't clear enough for the purpose I openned this thread so, please, permit me to ask you some questions, that came up when reading the article.

"The Longhorn generic storage subsystem, code-named "WinFS," can store data of all types and use one mechanism to access it. This is a huge change in an OS that has relied on multiple, incompatible storage for data including the registry, event log messages, contact information, and e-mail, or simply used multiple flat files for data such as images and audio. Since WinFS is implemented using database technologies, you get an efficient and flexible mechanism to query for data items, the ability to replicate data to stores on other machines, and facilities to handle backups and restores."

As a "generic storage subsystem", could it come to be a replacement for the DBF?

"This is where WinFS fits in. Everything that is stored in the WinFS store is an item and each item has metadata properties that are described by a schema. Items that follow the schema are stored in the WinFS store as serialized .NET objects and are accessed through T-SQL views that give access to the items' properties."

As "serialized .Net objects", how VFP would handle that? ("WinFS provides T-SQL views...")

"When you access WinFS items through the managed API, you do so through .NET objects. Each WinFS item type has a corresponding .NET Framework class which has System.Storage.Item in its hierarchy."

Again .NET, so what about VFP, AFAIK there are no plans for a VFP.NET.

"WinFS, the new Longhorn file storage system, is the basic building block of all applications on Longhorn, and I have only just scratched the surface of what you can do with it in this article. WinFS provides you with all of the features you need to have persistent items that can be categorized and searched for based on properties of the item type. Your job is to use these facilities to create the next generation of Windows-based applications."

At the end of the article I got a bit confused. As I could understand (please correct me if I'm wrong) WinFS will make up a super specialized file system ("WinFS currently only applies to folders within the Documents and Settings folders. All other folders still reside under the control of NTFS. In particular, %systemroot% and Program Files are NTFS folders, which means that your application executable files will not actually live in the WinFS store.
"), so it didn't seem to me as an option to the DBF for VFP developers.

Anyway, could be there in the future a WinFSAdapter, like CursorAdapter? I mean there are any plans to put the WinFS tecnology at the reach of VFP developers?

Thanks again,

Fernando