>If I look at an FPT file in a text editor, what order are the entries in? In other words, this FPT file may have multiple entries for each customer. If I just open the FTP file in a text editor, the data appears to be order for an individual account but how would the order in the FTP file relate to the entry order of the associated DBF? My problem is that I have to relate the entries in the FTP file to account numbers that are not referenced in the content of the memo field.

Probably the order in which they were created. In other words, in record #5 you add a memo - that will appear first in the FPT file. The corresponding field (4 bytes, or 10 in older versions) in the DBF will have a pointer, stating where the information starts in the FPT file. Later, you are located in record #3 and add a memo for the same memo field (can also be another one); well, that one will appear AFTER the memo for record #5, which was created earlier. Once again, the DBF will contain a pointer that says, where does the information start.

Well, that is the general idea. I have no idea, for example, how to figure out how many bytes are stored in the memo field. I think there should be a more detailed explanation somewhere in the Visual FoxPro documentation.