>Actually, let me see if I can make this clearer.
>
>Table A has fields: add_date, add_time, add_user
>
>Table B does not!
>
>I am updating Table A with Table B, therefore I am scattering from Table B and gathering to Table A. It seems to me that because those fields don't exist in Table B, when it gathers to Table A - it deletes the value of those fields and updates with nothing ( cause those fields don't exist in Table B ). Maybe that makes more sense. I can't really use the GATHER EXPECT add_date, add_time, add_user because they are in Table B. Or if I do that, will it just ignore those records all together?
>
>JOlene

Like I said, these fields _were_ scattered at some point prior to this into memvars. If they weren't they would just be ignored. They are still in memory so they are getting overwritten.

GATHER EXCEPT should work. But Nigel gave the best answer for this: use SCATTER NAME / GATHER NAME instead.
Check out help on these commands for more detail.

BTW, you can verify that these memvars do exist by setting a breakpoint before the GATHER and looking in the Locals window (in the debugger).