>>"However this index is useless"! This information is completely wrong!!! A binary index tag on deleted() can speed up your queries a lot, unlike orinary index tag on deleted() in previous versions of VFP. But I expect you to deny this statement. (Sigh in advance!)
>
>I tend to think of an index on deleted() more likely to be harmful than helpful - what sort of improvements have been made in recent versions?

Quote from http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dv_foxhelp9/html/fe911859-3235-4349-82c7-fa16a16d5527.asp:

"A binary index can be significantly smaller than a non-binary index and can improve the speed in maintaining indexes, for example, when using indexes based on deleted records. For more information, see Indexes Based on Deleted Records. Visual FoxPro can often create the Rushmore optimization bitmap faster for a binary index if the number of records returned is more than 3% of the total number of records. However, the Rushmore bitmap might be created slower if the number of records returned is less than 3% of the total number of records. The 3% threshold can decrease as the number of the records in the table increase."