Direct USE vs. Map drive

[MarvinR]

Please tell me which way is better to access a set of table in another PC:

A. Use the table directly:
USE \\PC-Main\Invoice\SalesInvoice.dbf SHARED

or

B. Map a network drive of "\\PC-Main\Invoice" than use that dbf.

Thanks.

 

[StewartUK]

MarvinR,

Mapping drives from within a VFP application seems to me to be unnecessary and risky.

If you can't persuade the user to have the drive mapped by Windows, then I would use the UNC (I think it's called) reference \\PC-Main\Invoice.

Hope that helps,

Stewart

 

[MarvinR]

In B. (map drive), I mean creating a map drive permanently uner "My Computer".

So that means the solution B is better ?

 

[StewartUK]

I think so. I can't remember quite how that works - drive mapping here works through our network login - but for the user's convenience the mapping would have to be set to be automatic when ever they start Windows.

Stewart

 

[craigber]

If you are using the Novell drivers, my experience shows that you should always use mapped drives. Access to any network resource is slow when you don't have mapped drives.

Craig Berntson
MCSD, Visual FoxPro MVP,

http://www.craigberntson.com

Author, CrysDev: A Developer's Guide to Integrating Crystal Reports"

 

[MarvinR]

I ask this question because I found that if I double click on a mapped drive under "My Computer", it shows the contain at once; but if I click on the same folder in "My Network Place" ("My Neighbour" ?) sometimes it would be a few seconds delay.

I use Win 2000 server and Win Me. The table to be shared is on the server.

 

[StewartUK]

I don't know about Novell drivers, but otherwise your network administrator should be able to set up this mapping for the users as part of their network login. At least, that's what happens for me.

Stewart