HOWTO: Optimize FoxPro Performance on a Network

• Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, versions 3.0, 5.0, 6.0
• Microsoft FoxPro for MS-DOS, versions 2.5, 2.5a, 2.5b, 2.6
• Microsoft FoxPro for Windows, versions 2.5, 2.5a, 2.5b, 2.6

SUMMARY

Here are a few steps you may use to optimize network performance:

1. Install local copies of FoxPro on the workstations and only have data that needs to be shared on the network.



2. Create a local Config.fpw for each node or workstation. Force FoxPro (or EXE's written in FoxPro) to find and use the specified local configuration file. The proper syntax to specify a configuration file is shown below: -C<path> For example, to ensure that FoxPro uses a specific Config.fpw file modify the command line of the startup icon or program to look like the following: c:\apps\customer.exe -cc:\temp\config.fpw Note: Ensure that there is no space following the -c parameter. Also if the subdirectory name includes a space you must enclose the entire -c parameter within double quotes.



3. Make sure all temporary files and work files are located on the local drive. For example, the Config.fp file (or, in the Windows product, the Config.fpw file) would contain the following entries: tmpfiles = c:\foxtemp sortwork = c:\foxtemp progwork = c:\foxtemp editwork = c:\foxtemp Note: Ensure it is a valid, existing subdirectory on local drive.



4. Within the configuration file, specify a local resource file. By default the name of the resource file is Foxuser.dbf and there is an assocated Foxuser.fpt file. It is a normal FoxPro table. For example, the Config.fpw file would contain the following entry: resource=c:\apps\myuser.dbf



5. If there are files that need to be shared but are rarely updated (an example would be States.dbf, which has state abbreviations and full names), mark those files with the Read-Only attribute at the network level. For example, to mark States.dbf as read-only on a Novell network, you would type: FLAG states.dbf +RO States.dbf will now open faster.

REFERENCES

"Developer's Guide," version 2.5, "FoxPro in a Multiuser Environment" Chapter 19 in FoxPro for Windows Developer's Guide; Chapter 16 in FoxPro for MS-Dos Developer's Guide.



"Developer's Guide", Professional Edition, Visual FoxPro version 3.0, "Programming for Shared Access".

Additional query words: Network Optimize novel

Keywords : kbnetwork kbVFp300 kbVFp500 kbVFp600
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