>Hi,
>
>During my VFP career, I've developed VFP applications only using the native dbf tables that come with Visual FoxPro. However, a prospective client of mine has requested that I design a VFP application, which will connect with a SQL Server backend database.
>
>The problem is that I've never used SQL Server and I don't own a standard or enterprise edition of SQL Server. Also, I primarily develop applications off-site, package them into installation files, and ship them to the clients. This makes it impossible for me to directly work with a client's SQL Server system (since I'm primarily an off-site developer at the moment). I want to avoid purchasing the standard or enterprise editions, since they are very costly.
>
>I've done some research, and found that there is an SQL Server Development version, which allows a developer to create a fully functional SQL Server application, and later upgrade/migrate it to the enterprise edition of SQL Server. I'm also aware of the SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine, which comes with VFP, and seems to allow the same flexibility for later migration to a full version of SQL Server.
>
>My questions are the following:
>
>1) Which development edition of SQL Server is most suitable for developing solutions off-site (without access to a client's enterprise or standard edition of SQL Server)? Is SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine suitable for this?
>
>2) What is involved in upgrading an application (developed with SQL Server Desktop Engine) to a client's full SQL Server system? Is this just a simple process of copying the application's database files/tables on to the client's hard drive/server? Or, is something else involved?
>
>Thanks for any help,
>Dave

1) I find MSDE quite limiting for a developer. I'd use Developer edition (and I do) and since now it's only 49$ I think it's worth (hope still 49$).
2) Is not hard and almost an extended version of a series of SQL commands. You might use upsizing wizard, or SQL server DTS to create a script for you (SQL server creates its samples from scripts). It's like creating VFP dbc and tables from say gendbc generated code.
Another technique might be to backup at one site and restore in the other ( I don't suggest this really but once created this way).
Well after saying this let me add it might not be very easy or possible at all if you don't cooperate with their SQL server admin. If they ever let you in giving their address and pw you might directly create the tables from your computer.
And I believe .NET documentation should have some walkthroughs for it.
Cetin