OK. I misunderstood you. Don't worry I was doing it as you just indicated. I just can't understand why TABLEUPDATE is so flakey. I just tested the form again and did not get the error "Function requires row or table buffering mode." I can try later on and I bet I will get it again. Strange. When I try to make it fail, it won't and when I don't try to make it fail, it does.

But I will take your suggestion for including the alias in the TABLEUPDATE command. I was telling Nancy Folsom that I used to be a machine language programmer on a mainframe for a bunch of years and never had this much FUN??

hehehe... Whenever I think I have VFP figured out it tosses me a curve ball. I feel like I have the online Reference Manual memorized. Oh well. Thanks again.