>>>Are variables in scope?
>>
>>Yes, the first query works fine and returns 7 records. The second query that is supposed to access the temp table is failing.
>
>

>if [<< var >>] worked and [?var] not, then usually the variable is out of scope (or is redefined somewhere).
>

There is nothing that re-defines them in the whole code:

PRIVATE cDep, cCat, cItem
cDep = EVL(substr(lcViewVar,1,10),NULL)
cCat = EVL(substr(lcViewVar,11,10),NULL)
cItem = EVL(substr(lcViewVar,21,10),NULL)

TEXT TO lcS TEXTMERGE noshow
SELECT * FROM ItemFund
where department = ?m.cDep and Category = ?m.cCat and Item = ?m.cItem
endtext

mysqlexec(m.lcS, 'csrItemfund', program())
select csrItemfund
if reccount() = 0
	append blank
endif

TEXT TO lcS noshow
SELECT * FROM i_invent
where department = ?m.cDep and Category = ?m.cCat and Item = ?m.cItem
endtext

mysqlexec(m.lcS, 'i_invent', program())

make_view_updatable('i_invent',5)	&&table buffering 

TEXT to lcS NOSHOW 
if object_id('tempdb..#csrI_Item') is not null drop table #csrI_Item
select * 
  into #csrI_Item
  from i_items  
  where department = ?m.cDep
  and category = ?m.cCat
  and item = ?m.cItem
SELECT * from #csrI_Item
ENDTEXT  

mysqlexec(m.lcS, 'i_items', PROGRAM())

TEXT to lcS NOSHOW 

select * from i_attlnk WHERE invent_id in (select invent_id FROM #csrI_Item)
DROP TABLE #csrI_Item
ENDTEXT  
mysqlexec(m.lcS, 'i_attlnk', PROGRAM())