>Nadya,
>
>If I do it your way, would the ControlSource in each textbox on the form be thisform.oTable.fieldname1, thisform.oTable.fieldname2, etc.?
>
That's right, the names would be longer. But you can use with thisform.oTable endwith construct in the code.

>My guess is that the guy I work with won't let me do it your way and would rather have me do PUBLIC oTable in the form init. I think I passed the form property idea by him last week and he made a face.
>
I see. If the form is modal, you can declare private oTable in you main program and oTable=null

This way you would not need to create a public variable, since private would be visible too. Still form's property is a better way of doing it, and yet better way to use buffering.

Anyway, if public works, that't fine too. Just release it in form's destroy method to not pollute memory, if not necessary.

>The only disadvantage to doing it your way that I can is that the names in the ControlSource are longer when I do it your way. oTable.fieldname1 vs. thisform.oTable.fieldname1. That is provided that I am stating the ControlSources correctly.
>
>How can something so simple be so difficult at first? I can blame the manuals and books for not covering this subject adequately. I use my reference books all the time. The UT usually wins out over the reference books though because you get a simpler more direct answer that is usually used in the real world.
>
>Thanks for the advice.

I don't know, I thought Help on SCATTER command is enough. I also have Hacker's Guide in electronic version and I put it in my Help menu. So I can use both resources. Sometimes I also check topic online for better understanding. I have Booth, Sawyer book at work, (I kept it at home before and there I had time to read it, but my colleague asked me to bring it here, so now it just stands on my bookshelf, but I don't have time to read it :()