Hi David

Yes, but in order for LOCATE to optimize, you would have to build the correct index for such a search when the user specifies the search criteria. In other words, there is no way to optimize locate for these searches. You are correct that the CONTINUE would probably be pretty fast, once the first locate has been performed.

However, if I understand it properly, Fox should out perform Access on such searches because Access does not use a fixed width record. It seems to me it would have to perform more manipulations of the data to read the correct field to get to the correct record.