>>>Has someone come up with any kind of automation tool to build these sql strings with 1000000000000 number of single quotes?
>>
>>What strings are you referring to and what is the problem?
> Something like this:
>
>declare @sql_str char (4000)
>set @sql_str =
>'select * from openquery(VAMCPD,
>''select a.cItemno,a.nShipQty,a.nSalesAmt-a.nDiscAmt as Amt
> from aritrs a
>inner join arinvc b on a.cInvNo=b.cInvNo
>where a.cCustno+a.cInvNo like ''' + '''59002' + '%''' + ''' and cType= '''''
>+ ''''''')'
>--select @sql_str
>exec (@sql_str)
>
>it took just a couple hours, or even more. I am trying to add more parameters to a query and it is a nightmare.

Sorry but I still do not understand what you're doing and where. Do you build the string in VFP or in SQL Server stored procedure? Where parameters comes from and how?