DOCUMENT:Q155528  27-JUL-2001  [foxpro]
TITLE   :HOWTO: Set Up an Offline View in Visual FoxPro 5.0
PRODUCT :Microsoft FoxPro
PROD/VER:
OPER/SYS:
KEYWORDS:kbDatabase kbSQL kbvfp500 kbvfp600 kbSQLProg

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The information in this article applies to:

 - Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, versions 5.0, 6.0 
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SUMMARY
=======

This article demonstrates the steps to create and use an offline view in Visual
FoxPro.

MORE INFORMATION
================

With the following steps, you can create a sample offline view using the data
from the Testdata database from the Samples\Data directory.

1. Create a new directory called Myoffline, and make it the default directory.

2. Open the Testdata database in the C:\VFP\Samples\Data directory. In Visual
   FoxPro 6.0, the Testdata database can be found in the home()+"data"
   directory.

3. Create a new .dbc file called Mydbc, and modify this database.

4. Within Mydbc, create a new Local View from the Customer table and include all
   fields as output. Check Send SQL Updates, and mark the Cust_ID field as
   modifiable in the Update criteria tab.

   NOTE: An offline view does not have to be from a local view; it can also come
   from a remote view, adding more power to this feature.

5. Close and save the view, and name it Myview.

6. From the Command window issue the command:

          ? CREATEOFFLINE("MYVIEW")

   If the command executes successfully, it returns a .T., and now if you look at
   the files in the Myoffline directory, you should see three extra files with
   the following names:

   Myview.dbf
   Myview.tbf
   Myview.tdx

   The view Myview is now considered offline. You can take the contents of the
   MYOFFLINE folder anywhere and make changes to the data in Myview view.

7. Issue a CLOSE All command from the Command window to close all the files.

8. Next issue the following commands from the Command window:

          SET MULTILOCKS ON
          OPEN DATABASE MYDBC
          USE MYVIEW
          BROWSE

   Multilocks must be set on in order to use the view. You can look at the
   records and modify them.

9. Modify or append a couple of records. Because the view is offline, only the
   records in Myview.dbf are actually changed. Nothing is being changed in the
   Customer table.

10. Issue a USE command to close Myview.

11. To update the Customer table, issue the following commands:

          OPEN DATABASE c:\vfp\samples\data\testdata
          USE Customer
          ? CURSORSETPROP("Buffering",5)
          USE Myview ONLINE EXCLUSIVE IN 0
          SELECT Myview
          ? TABLEUPDATE(.T.)

   If you BROWSE the Customer table, you should see your changes. You must open
   the view with the ONLINE clause, and it must be exclusive in order to
   update. Also the table and database the view is representing, in this case
   Customer, must be open.

12. To make Myview a normal view or one that is considered ONLINE, you must use
   the DROPOFFLINE()function, which deletes the three files that you created in
   the Myoffline directory. Any changes made to the view are reflected in the
   Customer table.

Additional query words:

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Keywords          : kbDatabase kbSQL kbvfp500 kbvfp600 kbSQLProg 
Technology        : kbVFPsearch kbAudDeveloper kbVFP500 kbVFP600
Issue type        : kbhowto

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