Because line2 makes table1alias the alias, so the alias in line3 remains unused until that point.

You may be forgetting that the table name is used as the alias in the absence of an alias clause *and* the name is useable as an alias (for instance, 3chrname is *not* a valid alias name, so if it was a table name it would not be set as the default alias).

Jim N

>Hi Mike!
>
>If that is true then why is it that the following works:
>
>line1: close all
>line2: use table1 in 0 alias table1alias
>line3: use table1 again in 0 alias table1
>
>Thanks
>Dave Mihalik
>dmihalik@stansleygroup.com