>>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 +.
>
Looks as if I didn't test all conditions. Thanks for finding this for me

>I tested in VFP8, I don't have VFP9 here.
>
>BTW, may I congratulate you? <g>

Yup.....
I had an assignment in Las Vegas that didn't pan out as well as I had hoped. Good working conditions, good people, but not the long-term thing I was looking for. Then this turned up. Permenant (or, at least as permenant as I can hope for in today's environment) with a company still committed to FoxPro and with benefits. I didn't like trashing my reputation by cutting short the contract work, but just had to do it to take care of my family properly.

BTW -- anybody reading this who is interested in a 6-12 month assignment in Las Vegas doing strictly maintenance work let me know and I'll send the particulars.