Hi, I am exploring replicating salesforce to my SQL server for the sole reason that I cannot use joins in sforce. I understand that joins can impact performance but at this point I am having to throw 200+ queries at the web service where one join would have sufficed.

(For example if my app needs to retrieve all scheduled items for today for a specific product where the opportunity is for an account in a given area I have to query "up" 4 or 5 times for each item in my initial list. If there are 100 items on the list 500 queries yuck!!)

Must be some way of comparing the relative performance impacts of 500 queries vs 1 join.

My other solution involves replicating most of the sforce database to my local SQL and throw my joins against that. It looks like allot of developers are going this route but it still seems like the long way around.

My question/suggestion is that if I could have access to "reports" in sforce then it would take care of 90% or more of my need for joins. I would simply design my report with the neccessary joins then query that report. Much like querying a view in SQL.

By exposing the reports instead of enabling joins I would get what I need and your online report designer can ensure there are no malformed and expensive joins.

So, Is there a plan to expose reports? ...soon?

Dave