I agree with Christopher's comments on the choice of technologies for an open source project. I would have though that the ideal choice of technologies for the job would be to use MySQL or PostgresSQL (or other good open source database) as a back end, PHP for the programming and all user interaction through a browser (it seems silly writing native clients in this day and age - particularly for this type of job). I can't foresee any performance issues with this setup and such a solution could be hosted on almost any modern computer platform, with client access via absolutely anything with a web (or even WAP) browser. HTTPS could be used between browser and server to ensure that all net traffic is encrypted and that secure access is available if required from inside and outside the school. Probably the hardest component of the overall job would be the database design so Richard may well have already done the tricky bit. Cheers -- Phil Driscoll Dial Solutions +44 (0)113 294 5112 http://www.dialsolutions.com http://www.dtonline.org