>>abcdefg [01] = is what i need
>>as opposed to submitted data which reads # abcdefg [1]
>
>Well, in that case you could just brute-force it in 10 lines of code, no RegEx needed, maintainable in pure VFP:
>

>cFile = strtran(cFile,"[0]","[00]") && if you need to handle [0]
>cFile = strtran(cFile,"[1]","[01]")
>cFile = strtran(cFile,"[2]","[02]")
>cFile = strtran(cFile,"[3]","[03]")
>cFile = strtran(cFile,"[4]","[04]")
>cFile = strtran(cFile,"[5]","[05]")
>cFile = strtran(cFile,"[6]","[06]")
>cFile = strtran(cFile,"[7]","[07]")
>cFile = strtran(cFile,"[8]","[08]")
>cFile = strtran(cFile,"[9]","[09]")
>
>* or, if you wanted to do it in "one line of code", you could nest the above calls < eg >
>

>Some people might pooh-pooh brute-force solutions, but they have their place.

You didn't write a loop? Tsk, tsk...