>>>What I'm about to write is more for newcomers to VFP (and myself < g >) than you.
>>>
>>>Consider the following code snippet:

>>>SET EXACT OFF
>>>? 'X' = 'XX' && returns .F.
>>>? 'XX' = 'X' && returns .T.
>>>? 'XX' = 'XX' && returns .T.
>>>? 'X' == 'XX' && returns .F. again
>>>? 'XX' == 'X' && returns .F. this time
>>>? 'XX' == 'XX' && .T., of course.

>>>What happens is that when SET('EXACT') is equal 'OFF' if the string expression on the right of the equal contains more characters than the one on the left, the comparison only goes as far as the number of characters in the string on the left. If the string on the left contains more characters than the one on the right, then the strings are automatically unequal regardless of the number of character matches.
>>
>>Your code sample is correct, but in your text you reversed left and right. If the string on the RIGHT has more characters than the string on the LEFT, it's always unequal (regardless of SET EXACT, =, or ==). If the string on the LEFT has more characters than the string on the RIGHT, if SET EXACT is off and single = is used, the comparison only goes to the length of the string on the RIGHT.
>>
>
>Gack...I re-read that three times too. OK, guys, my bad. Just chalk it up to me not knowing the difference between left and right.:-)

Are you related to my wife? GD&R,VVF