>>>Another way to get the same is to
>>>

Select * from ... into cursor tmp ... nofilter readwrite
>>>alter table ... drop column somefield
>>>

>>>Don't remember the exact syntax for the drop. If you want to avoid getting the field even temporarily (because it's too long, or because it's a memo), then you need a full select statement. You may use Frank's macro, or build a field list as a string with that one field omitted, then use such a field list in a script that you'll execscript(), or run as a macro.
>>
>>Have you ever done this? Every time I've tried to alter table with a cursor I get an error that says it is an invalid operation for a cursor.
>
>The cursor must be read-write, then it's "legal".

But when I omit the readwrite clause, I get "File f:\temp\00001zwp00h0.tmp is read-only.", not the "operation invalid for a cursor". Maybe that was the error in earlier versions of Fox?

And yes (as to whether I tried it), on a readwrite cursor in VFP9 it just works.