>Yup....typo.
>
>I'm not sure about easier to understand, especially for dinosaurs (like me) who used that first method for years.
>
>My tests on the speed differences between IIF($,SUBSTR()) and GETWORDNUM() were inconclusive.
>
>But they do this several places in the program and in some cases wwere using four or five values, each one requiring a full pass through the table. That's what I was hoping to eliminate and it looks as if I can.

Rich,

I'm sorry again. When I wrote my original response I didn't make enough tests and was writing based on my "mind" tests only. Apparently this is not enough, so I updated my original response. Please re-read it.

My conclusion - they are not identical if RefPartNum starts with either @ or +.

I tested in VFP8, I don't have VFP9 here.

BTW, may I congratulate you? <g>