Hi Jill,

As far as I can judge without actually trying this code, it would not work, if you enter a space, when hit BackSpace or delete (e.g. Number of spaces will be incorrect). BTW, you made a typo in a "reset" word.

Anyway, let me be wrong and I think, you're on the right track. What about initialization this control as space(30) by default?

>Nadya,
>
>>you still have a workaround using a KeyPress method, but it would be akward... :(
>
>it got it! and it's (finally) pretty simple. I count trailing spaces in the KeyPress method, then adjust the string in the valid. Here it is, w/a bit of initialization, etc. in other places:
>
>In KeyPress:
>

>WITH THISFORM
>  IF CHR( m.nKeyCode ) = " "	&& user entered space
>    IF .lLastWasSpace
>      .nTrailingSpaces = .nTrailingSpaces + 1 && found consecutive spaces, count this one
>    ELSE
>      .nTrailingSpaces = 1 && found a space after a non-space, count and reest flag
>      .lLastWasSpace = .T.
>    ENDIF
>  ELSE	&& not a space - forget counting
>    .lLastWasSpace = .F.
>  ENDIF
>ENDWITH
>
>In Valid:
>** get characters actually typed, including trailing spaces
>.cCharsEntered = RTRIM( This.Value )
>IF .lLastWasSpace && last printable character user typed was a space
>  .cCharsEntered = .cCharsEntered + SPACE( .nTrailingSpaces ) && put spaces back
>ENDIF
>

>
>Thanks for your interest and input...it's great to have a place like this to help work through things....J