>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?
>
If you had the MSDN Universal set from MS - you would have everything you need.
but ? Let's assume for the moment that you will be doing SQL Server authentication , and from there ?
you can utilize SQL 7 or 2000.
the Desktop Engine that you got in with v8 of VFP is MSDE, and you can write everything you need with that.

>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?

I prefer to script everything (sans data) out on my dev machines, save it as a sql file, make any changes I need to with the sql file,
and then run the sql file at the client site, with vfp via encapsulating the SQL DOM object inside of VFP. From there, you can load data into the SQL Server with VFP, utilizing your choice of:
1. SQL Pass Through
2. Remote Views
3. SQL DTS
4. Bulk Loading


If you utilize any Developer edition of SQL Server, I find less problems in deploying IF I stick to scripting out my tested version of the database schema .
>
>Thanks for any help,
>Dave