>>does the following work as well?
>>
>>

>>mytest = lcPath + "\nul.txt"      && nul.txt should exist in every directory!
>>if file(mytest) then && dir exists
>>    copy file (myhappyfile) to (lcPath)
>>else
>>    md lcPath
>>    copy file (myhappyfile) to (lcPath)
>>endif
>>

>>
>
>A second problem here - in addition to the nul.txt being an invalid test, you must supply the full name of the tart file, not just a path prefix; IOW, the copy command would need to read:
>
>COPY FILE (myhappyfile) TO (lcPath + JUSTFNAME(myhappyfile))
>
>JUSTFNAME() is a native function for VFP 6; it requires FOXTOOLS.FLL to be loaded in earlier versions.

The shortest (for lazy programmers):

if not directory(lcPath)
   md (lcPath)
endif
COPY FILE (myhappyfile) TO (ForcePath(myhappyfile, lcPath))

ForcePath() is another FoxTools citizen who made it into regular citizenship in VFP6.