>I think you may need to explicitly call the OpenTables() method. The BeforeOpenTables() method is kind of misleading, because it doesn't run before the OpenTables() method, it runs at the beginning of the OpenTables() method. So if OpenTables() does not get called (AutoOpenTables = .F.), BeforeOpenTables() does not get called. Hope this makes sense.
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Thanks for the response. Actually I am explicitly calling OpenTables at the end of the Init of the DE right after I do the AddObjects. This gets even more bizzare because when you set AutoOpenTables = .F., the Load event of the form fires before the DE, but if AutoOpenTables is .T., then the DE does all of its stuff before the Load event.

It looks to me like the OpenTables() is almost doing what it should, but is seems like it is opening each table in the same work area, one over the top of the other so that only the last cursor that I have added to the DE is remaining open when the event is finished.

I guess it really doesn't matter if I forget about adding the cursor objects in the Init and just use explicit USE ... IN 0 ALIAS .... and set the order and buffering using explicit commands instead. That's my next line of attack.

Dick Harrold