Programming for Shared Access

  • Article

If you create an application that will run on several machines in a network environment or if several instances of a form will access the same data, then you must program for shared access. Shared access means providing efficient ways of using and sharing data among users, as well as restricting access when necessary.

Microsoft Visual FoxPro provides support for shared or exclusive access to data, locking options, data sessions, record and table buffering, and transactions. Although these features are useful particularly in shared environments, you can use them in single-user environments too.

In This Section

  • Controlling Access to Data
    Discusses effective data management in a shared environment, and how you must choose how to access the data and when and where to limit that access.
  • Updating Data
    Explains how to update data using buffers, transactions, or views.
  • Management of Conflicts
    Discusses how you can anticipate and manage the inevitable conflicts that result from data update operations.
  • Extending Applications
    Describes how to extend a basic Visual FoxPro application to enable it to work for multiple users, take advantage of Microsoft ActiveX controls and automation-enabled applications, and add international capabilities.
  • Sharing Information and Adding OLE
    Discusses using ActiveX controls and object linking and embedding in your application to link to data and use the strengths of other applications.
  • Developing International Applications
    Describes how to move your applications into the world market by designing them for effective international use.