Hello again,

the problem is that to optimize my stored procedure, I need a way to
store about 1000 temporary numbers in an array. I want to store them in
memory, not in the database. So I thought I'd have to use a higher level
language than the stored procedure language.

Martin:

> Should you do it? NO!
> UDFs aren't supposed to be long and time consuming
> tasks - let alone creating database connections!

I'm not quite sure. Currently, my stored procedure takes
a long time to finish. Does it really make a difference
whether this time is spent in the stored procedure or
within the UDF? On Windows, that is?

About the database connections - I could move those into
a separate program that runs on the server. The UDF would
communicate with that software but not make database
connections itself. The UDF would then have to wait until
the other software is done.

Alternatively, the UDF could return immediately. The additional
program on the server would set a flag when it's done. Applications
running on the client would have to watch this flag.

Cheers,
Tobias