>>>i reproduce your "desirata" in the code below.
>>>when browsing the globalinx cursor you can see the first field (addfield) is accentued and the converted field (unaccentued).
>>>the conversion is made by a cursor scan
>>>in the first field you can put your "Paris la défense" or any accentued string.
>>>

>>>create cursor globalinx (addfield  c(150),unaccentued c(150))
>>>insert into globalinx values("Tellus donec pulvîar fancibüs à classé pésuéré arcu mattis, aliquét alèquam habitant juséo convallis tùrpus néc,","")
>>>insert into globalinx values("adipiscing enim !","")
>>>insert into globalinx values("énis nostra fuscé. Fringlilia vestibulum sed famès nostré morbi mattis ut, cubliâ classé curae metus conubia","") 
>>>insert into globalinx values("cél litoré, primis donéc dictum aliquet pulvîar et orci interdum.","")
>>>SELECT globalinx
>>>SCAN
>>>repl unaccentued with CHRTRAN(addfield, "ÀÁÂÃÄÅÇÈÉÊËÌÍÎÏÐÑÒÓÔÕÖÙÚÛÜÝàáâãäåçèéêëìíîïðñòóôõöùúûüýÿ","AAAAAACEEEEIIIIDNOOOOOUUUUYaaaaaaceeeeiiiidnooooouuuuyy")
>>>endscan
>>>brow
>>>

>>
>>I am getting very confused my dbf file consists of about 1000 records and 20 fields of which 10 could have accents - I dont know what the accents are I just need to remove all accents from all of the 10 fields for all of the 1000 records - I dont understand your code - Is ther any other way you can explain i to me?
>>
>>Thanks
>
>Colin,
>
>That code is crystal clear. I think you don't want to even make an effort to understand it.

Naomi I cannot understand the code perhaps I am confusing you - I have given the name town to of one of the fields which has accents

Does this make any difference to your code?