What if your application will get a case of two tasks related to the same parent and with identical date/time? Shouldn't your code to maintain/exclude this case?

>The active task/status is always the most recent assigned. An ACTIVETASK field is just something else to maintain (unmark the old active task, mark the new one). Just the fact that a task/status is the most recent one tells you it's the active one. ACTIVETASK seems redundant and therefore breaks normalization rules.
>
>>It's much better way, because candidate tag will ensure data integrity, and 'active' field will simplify and speed querying. Just imagine, that for some reason 'active' task is not the most recent one. It might not happen but it should convince you :).
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>>>I had thought about it, but I feel this is an unnecessary data field. Perhaps I'll be persuaded to change my mind <g>, but not yet.
>>>
>>>>Your task will be much better accomplished if you keep 'Activetask' field (logical) in the child table, providing that you have only one record in child group with Activetask=.T. (you may have a candidate tag on parentid for activeflag=.t.).