>>If I do this:
>>SELECT MLINE(comment,1) FROM hdefects INTO CURSOR curTemp WHERE .....
>>I get the first few characters of the memo line but not the entire line. SET
>>MEMOWIDTH doesn't seem to have anything to do with the length of the returned
>>line. What am I overlooking? TIA
>
>You're probably overlooking the fact that the first returned line in a SELECT statement determines the field width for the rest of the lines.
>
>Try SELECT PADR(MLINE(comment, 1), SET('MEMOWIDTH')) AS comment...

Thanks Garrett, that worked fine. I had tried using the _MLINE system variable as the second parameter but that didn't do the trick. Appreciate the help from both you and John.