Access linked tables 2

[tiercel]

We have a database that is written in FoxPro 2. Last year, I linked to some tables using Access 2000 to write some reports.

Shortly thereafter, I was told by our programmers (an outside consultant who gets paid for writing reports) that they were seeing unexplainable errors in data in some of the tables. I was blamed for it, even though at the time the errors supposedly occurred, I wasn't even accessing the database.

So now I'm gun shy. Unfortunately, we're in a position where we must access this database using Access. In 6 months, we will start migrating this program to Oracle, but for now, I'm stuck.

We have been resorting to accessing a copy of the tables, but this is unacceptable. Our users want real-time data, not data that is 2-10 hours old.

My questions:
1. Is there a safe way to access FoxPro tables using Access, either via ODBC or linked tables? (I'm pretty sure I have the correct version of the Jet engine to be able to do this per the literature, but don't know where to go to check).
2. If so, is there a way to both read and write to these tables while users are continuing to access the tables with the FP2 application? I can live with "read only" if necessary, but would like for the FoxPro database engine to know when Access is locking and unlocking records, and not corrupt an update. (The tables we would update with Access would be tables for occasionally-updated tables such as combo-box type lists, i.e. customer lists, etc).
3. Is there an ODBC driver that will work? Or the BDE?
4. Is there a place where I can get comprehensive "how-to" literature on how to make this work?

Thanks very much.

 

[rgbean]

Theoretically to access "old" Fox2.x DBFs you can use 'Jet' directly. For VFP DBFs, you must use ODBC or the new VFP 7.0 OLE DB provider (you've got to buy a copy of VFP 7.0 to get a copy of these to distribute). The last VFP ODBC client is included in MDAC 2.5 (

http://www.microsoft.com/data/),

or go to

http://msdn.microsoft.com/vfoxpro/downloads/odbc.asp

and get the latest (and last) VFP ODBC driver.

Note: The problem you may be having is with table / index caching. If you are using NT / 2000 / XP for a file server, look into Opportunistic Locking. If you are using a Novell file server, make sure you are using current Netware clients and reset the default caching settings.

Rick