>>>
>>>APPEND FROM does the equivalent of parsing the strings for you. When it hits the last field in your .DBF structure, it assumes that the next how-ever-many characters go to the next record. Unless you are downloading a file with a bunch of redefines, IBM still uses a fixed length record. I can tell you from the experience of having to optimize data loading procedures written by other people that one of the most inefficient ways to do it is low level file manipulation. Why are you reprogramming Fox?
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>>thanks, dorris. it's good to know i'm not the only 'lazy' programmer here...
>
>Dave - I thought 'lazy' was a major definition of 'programmer' . After all, all we wanna do is sit in one place HOURS on end staring at a funky TV, right?

sure seems that way. and my wife wonders why i'd rather read a paper than watch the news after work...