I need some advice on a method to produce real-time or close to real-time data refreshing in my VB6 application. The application has a visual display using MSHFlexGrid of inventory available for theater seats. A number of order entry clerks can be accessing the data at the same time.

How can I refresh the data display when changes are made, so that the clerks see real information and don't run into conflicts? Ideally, I'd want each client workstation to send a message to other workstations when the data updated. But what's realistic in VB?

I've thought about a few different methods, but none seem that attractive. And I don't want to go down a deadend. What do you think is the best way to acheive this?

Some of my thoughts:

1. A DCOM/ActiveX thing that acts asynchronously (would require enormous learning on my end)

2. Upgrade to VB.NET and use tools that it has?

3. Set a timer to refresh the page. But what cost in processing power, etc?

4. Find a control that will work with little modification

5. something simple that I haven't thought of yet ...

Thanks