You can use an UDF that returns C(254) as index expression. In function ALINES() will split the value nicely. The rest is simple
>I'm in general no friend of definition of such borderes besides field lenght and VFP type and field limitations. There are reasonable assumptions, but we all remember the two digit years or the 1.9.[19]99 as default value ...
>
>Let's say we do 5 digits per group and no mix of numeric / non numeric.
>
>The index is on a CA, I can generate the index code on the fly and do a guess depending on recent field values, so we just can take any number.
>
>What I have a problem with is is to split the field into any other fields, because this needs to be done on any change while the cursor is living - and that's a pain.
>
>Also the CA is refreshed in a not to slow pace, so scanning through it seems not fine.
>
--sb--