As you mention this... This would be "my" choice if I can choose how I want to set the directories...

X:\ABC\LIVE\ this would be for the executables (via, ABC.EXE)

X:\ABC\DATA\ this would be for the databases/tables

X:\ABC\VFP\LIVE\ this would be for my test executables

X:\ABC\VFP\DATA\ this would be for my sample data

X:\ABC\VFP\CODE\ this would be for my programming directory

That way, I can hardcode "everything" as "..\DATA\&alias()". If I have to do some report (fisal year or whatever) or there's some data error, I just copy *.* from DATA to VFP\DATA. Does that sound about right for us as VFP programmer? Of course, I do not have that choice here, but thats what I did (or something close to that, it's been a while) before this position. With this way, if the directories need to be moved or anything, all it takes it to move the "ABC" directory, everything elses follows (one click-and-drag). THAT is how I got the habit of using SET DEFAULT TO...

>SET PATH TO ..\DATA; ..\GRAPHICS, ..\OUTPUT