I feel stupid asking this but I have to. I know what ALLTRIM() is. I know what TRIM() is as well as LTRIM(),RTRIM(), and the various PAD functions.

What is ALLTRIM(), TRIM

Do you mean ALLTRIM(TRIM())?
I have many times use LTRIM(TRIM(firstname) + ' ') .... to add a trailing blank to the trimmed first name only if the firstname is not empty.

>The ALLTRIM(), TRIM is ignored in the index, as I think J. Booth pointed out to me some years ago.
>If you SET EXACT ON and SEEK ("Koziol") with an INDEX ON TRIM(Name), you get no match.
>If you SET EXACT ON or OFF and have an index on ALLTRIM(Name) and do a
>SEEK(PADR("Koziol",x)), assuming I added the right number of spaces, it IS found.
>Don't ALLTRIM(), TRIM in INDEX expressions. It's pointless.
>
>>Hi Charlie ---
>>
>>No they are not; something else must be going on. For example, if I have an index on TRIM(lastname) and then SEEK "Koziol" there shouldn't be a problem. Perhaps you are using UPPER or LOWER in the index expression or in the SEEK expression?
>>
>>
>>>
>>>If I have an index on some field and the expression I'm searching for using SEEK() has leading or trailing blanks, I don't get a match. If I try an alltrim on the search expression and the index key, I still don't get a match. I appears that TRIM commands are ignored in index expressions.
>>>
>>>Charlie