>>- return the data as array, rebuild the table
>--> would like to do that but no way to pass an array back from a form correct? (it would have to be a property of an object right)

You can not RETURN an array. But beside that there are ways.

No scx's

I create all my forms as a class in a vcx, doing in general the following for calling:

loForm = newobject('form_class','classlib', ...)

loForm.Put(Whatever_I_need,even_Array)
loForm.Show(1)  &&wait untli finished
loform.get(Whatever_I_need,even_Array)

loform.release
loform = .null.

do not need to return anything from a form.

It has some backdraws like no tables available at design time, but I don't like this anyway.

back reference
An other way would be to hand the form a back reference
The form calling needs a method like:

PROCEDURE PutDataBack
 LPARA taData
 external array taData
*read data ....
ENDPROC

*calling picklist is like:

DO FORM PickList.scx WITH THISFORM && modal form

PickList.scx: methods:

PROCEDURE INIT
 LPARA toBackRef
 this.addproperty('goBackRef',toBackRef)  &&store back reference for later use
 return dodefault()
ENDPROC

PROCEDURE okbutton.click
* ... gather data to array laData
 thisform.goBackRef.PutDataBack(@laData)
ENDPROC

>>- return the data as a string, for example as XML, rebuild from that, a csv string, or a string to a temp csv file will do as well.
>--> probably the "cleanest" going forward if I use this technique in other forms (and easy for another programmer to understand what I am doing)

If you can do that, you can do a real table too.

HTH