MiniVend's memory-based databases are the fastest possible way to organize and store data you will frequently use. To force a database to be built in memory instead of DBM, use the MEMORY modifier:
Database country country.asc TAB Database country MEMORY 1
Obviously large tables will use a great deal of memory, and the data will need to be re-imported from the ASCII source file at every catalog reconfiguration or MiniVend restart. The big advantage of using MEMORY is that the database remains open at all times and does not need to be reinitialized at every connect -- use it for smaller tables that will be frequently accessed.
The MEMORY modifier forces IMPORT_ONCE.