Hi Randall,
SELECT SQL is a mighty command, you can do thinks you did not think of. but there are limitations.
If your cdx - file is damaged results will be eratic.
Read help carefully. There are operations on SELECT SQL that look like known FOXPRO, but they are not (look at "==" operator)
There are known bugs corresponding to your setting of SET COLLATE. I swaped from "GENERAL" to "MACHINE" by a reason that some JOINS did not work.

To learn SELECT SQL - I've started with the view wizard to create simple SELECT SQL commands. Analyze them and redesign. You can cut the created command out of wizard's SQL - statement window.

If using views, espacially updateable ones, set all properties programically for each field. Never trust those automatic, it may guess wrong.

Lutz