>Dmitry,
>
>I follow such questions / discussions, because there are corners of SQL I am uncertain about or just ignorant. That said, In your shoes I'd never put the smart 1 query code in any of my apps
>
>The basic OP question was clear and defined 2 selection steps. Why not KISS and code in 3 queries ? That way, you can be certain that you will not run afoul implementation differences or updates on esoteric SQL and if somebody else (or a future Dmitry...) touches that code it will still resolve to the result specced.
>in Vfp there would be no need for even result cursor, better here as the JOIN is a filter

>SELECT MAX(DATE_FLD) As mD FROM MyTable into Array aT_Date
>SELECT MAX(ORDER_NO) AS mO FROM MyTable where DATE_FLD = aT_Date[1] into Array aT_Ord
>SELECT fields_needed_list   FROM MyTable;
>       where DATE_FLD = aT_Date[1] and ORDER_NO  = aT_Ord[1]
>

>There is no need for checking _tally if there is at least 1 record, as filter is a self join.
>So yes, ask questions- get smarter - but keep your code free of the answers ;-)
>
>my 0.02€
>thomas

And, as Tamar pointed out several times, don't trust _TALLY. Even as simple as

SELECT * from Cur1 into cursor Cur2
?_TALLY

might lie if some unexpected event fires.
Use

SELECT * from Cur1 into cursor Cur2 nofilter
?RECCOUNT("Cur2")

instead.