Roger, Both methods would accomplish your goal. As a programmer their reference to DSN-Less connections allows for easier machine portability as the connection information to the database server is maintained within the program or an INI as they indicated. Whereas a DSN probably system would make it easier for you to move the destination SQL server. While it would also require you to create the DSN on any machine the application would run on. As a programmer I can understand their desire to control as much as possible within their application while at the same time I can understand your desire to make easy changes. I've worked with applications that do both without any major problems... it would be nice if someone developed a standard though. But with that said either method should let you accomplish what you want assuming that the connection string for the application can be modified by you in an INI file. - John. John Hardwick President nXio, LLC. 913-754-8120 x125 www.nxio.net -----Original Message----- From: thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Roger Riggins Sent: Monday, November 01, 2004 3:22 PM To: thin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [THIN] OT: question for you programmers Our programmers are writing web applications that connect to SQL databases. We want it so that they can be moved to different IIS or SQL servers as easily as possible. I thought that using either system of file DSN's would be the way to go, but our programmers say: " DSN is "hard wired" on the machine or server. DSN-less connections mean I can access the database from any computer, anywhere. The connection string is within the code, in an include file. The config files will be used to put in database info, file locations and other essential information so the info can be modified if required." As a network administrator, I want to be able to move these apps without any knowledge of the app itself or the code it was written in. Can somebody please tell me what best practice is when writing these apps? Thanks, R ******************************************************** This Weeks Sponsor Emergent Online ThinCity Conference Join us at ThinCity 2004: The 1st Annual Emergent OnLine Technology Conference http://www.ThinCity.com ********************************************************** Useful Thin Client Computing Links are available at: http://thin.net/links.cfm *********************************************************** For Archives, to Unsubscribe, Subscribe or set Digest or Vacation mode use the below link: http://thin.net/citrixlist.cfm ******************************************************** This Weeks Sponsor Emergent Online ThinCity Conference Join us at ThinCity 2004: The 1st Annual Emergent OnLine Technology Conference http://www.ThinCity.com ********************************************************** Useful Thin Client Computing Links are available at: http://thin.net/links.cfm *********************************************************** For Archives, to Unsubscribe, Subscribe or set Digest or Vacation mode use the below link: http://thin.net/citrixlist.cfm