Jim and Marvin:
Can I amend that to be "always use the alias name where possible in all commands" for the same reasons you quoted below.

Marvin:
With the possible exception of the REPLACE command, because it won't REPLACE IN alias2 if the current work area alias is at EOF().

>Teh alias name must be in quotes and it is not the second argument of TableUpdate(). Try this;
>
>TableUpdate(1,.F.,"Copies")
>
>Also you should develop the habit of ALWAYS using the alias name in the TableUpdate. VFP is an evetn driven enviornment and you never know what control you may add later that mayu change the currently selected work area on you and cause a tableupdate() without the alias name to update the wrong work area.