Bob,
I don't know about MySql, but if it supports outer joins, the following produces the same result:

SELECT *;
 FROM a;
  LEFT JOIN b ON a.userId=b.userId;
 HAVING ISNULL(b.userId)

HTH

>Mysql does not have a subquery feature.
> does anyone have any thoughts on a workarround ? Besides the obsious, of getting all the records of both tables, and then letting vfp do the sql statments on two local cursors. ?
>
>Bob Lee
>
>>hm.. but i only works in VFP, but returns syntax error when I put it in a mysql GUI program.. i though SQL syntax should be a standard.. any suggestion?
>>
>>thank a lot!!