How to Optimize FoxPro Performance on a Network

• Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, versions 3.0, 5.0
• 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

Here are a few ways to optimize network performance:

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

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