>I've got it, finally, by putting
>
>IF USED('formversions')
> USE IN formversions
>ENDIF
>SELECT formver, formvername ;
> FROM fileconstants ;
> WHERE formchar = scanrun.formchar ;
> INTO CURSOR formversions
>
>into the Init event of the formverlist, which has a RowSource of formversions and Rowsourcetype of 6-fields, and the above code plus
>
>THISFORM.formverlist.INIT()
>THISFORM.formverlist.REQUERY()
>
>into the InteractiveChangeEvent of the combo box.
>
>No doubt you were all correct with your various suggestions - Once I started over with a blank form to get rid of accumulated accidental extra stuff that may have been buggering up my previous tries, I made rapid progress. My lesson - fewer events with less code is mo bettah. Thank you all.

No Doubt. :-) Actually, I haven't read everything carefully, but that doesn't stop me from making more suggestions.
THISFORM.FormVerList is really THIS
If you put the SELECT SQL statement in the Requery(), then you'll just have one statement in the InterActiveChange()
This.Requery()

Charlie