>I've found with further experiments that the grid remains a challenge even when subclassed. Basically, if you *ever* programmatically change the recordsource for the grid, it resets the recordsource properties for all the grids columns. So even if you have subclassed the grid, you are locked into a single recordsource (an alias that must be defined when the grid's init fires) unless you are willing to programmatically reset the controlsources for all the columns. Passing a different alias name to the grid's INIT routine, and having that routine set RecordSource, will not work because in doing so VFP will zap all CountrolSources for the grid's columns. VFP also mucks with the Sparse property as well.

several things
1st when u sub-class a grid you don't have to have it functional you can
just use it as a template
2nd you can also try to set ther recordsource to "" before making the change and then setting it (as suggested by Michel P. in VFUG tips)
3rd u can use views and the gird doesnot lose its properties when a view is requeried

Arnon