>In our particular case, we have the possibility of a user on the workstation running 2 different EXE where the user being on the same exact record in both programs. (unusual but we see it happen). The first program is going to write changes to field1 based on a field2 value and the second program writes to field2 based on field1 value.
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>if the second EXE writes first, no problem. But if 1st EXE writes, then we get an issue when second EXE writes. I need to make sure that the 1st EXE does not write if 2nd EXE has that form open.

Or you need to make sure that the record that exe 2 writes to is exactly the same as it was when exe2 got that record otherwise don;t write to it. That's what curval() oldval() are for.