>I am skeptical that it is slowed down because the function is in a proecudure file. Do you have control over the function/procedure file? If it is part of a procedure file containing other functions, try putting the function in its own .prg file, and name the file the same as the function (ie, don't use SET PROCEDURE TO).
>
>Simplify the function to almost nothing, to return a fixed string, and see if it speeds up.
>
>Is all this compiled into an .exe?
>
>
You are absolutely right.
This DOS based system has hundreds of such independent programs in the main directory. I just tried to create a comparative manageable procedure file.
It compiled in an .exe file with maybe 50 independent .app parts.
I don't want to provide database-competent people with source of nightmares and stop the description.

Thanks

Ed