>>yes but what if they put in 13/01/2000. what then? how do I handle that instance?
>
>

>set date american
>? ctod("12/01/2000")
>? ctod("13/01/2000")
>

>
>The first returns a date
>The second returns an empty string

Correction... not an empty string an empty date (if you do an empty check on it it will return .t.)