Ron-

> I have set the grid control source to an alias and I get an error message when I try to cocantenate the fields in the controlsource property for the column. Like the property must be a valid field or variable. So I leave the controlsource blank for the column, and I put the table.field1+", "+table.field2 in the value, and I get the fourth field of the table showing up. Not the concantenated fields.

The value property get's evaluated once when a control is instatiated. It's not dynamic. However, there is no value property for columns, hence my next question.

Are you sure you're setting the controlsource in the column or in the textbox? I had no trouble setting it in the column. I left Bound = .T.

>I guess I am getting confused on weather the grid should have a controlsource set as well as each column and each textbox of the grid.

The grid you probably noticed doesn't have a controlsource property. It has a recordsource.

Columns and their contained controls (textbox by default, but there doesn't need to be one, or it could be an option button, or several controls) have controlsources. Usually you can just leave the controlsource in the column, set bound = .t. and the default textbox will take care of itself.