>The following SQL runs great:
>
>SELECT (a bunch of fields)
> FROM temptest!memb JOIN temptest!leghist;
> INNER JOIN temptest!campus;
> INNER JOIN temptest!isd;
> INNER JOIN temptest!local ;
> ON Memb.mlocalnum = Local.localnum ;
> ON Isd.isdnum = Campus.cisdnum ;
> ON Campus.campusnum = Memb.mcampusnum ;
> ON Memb.membnum = Leghist.lmembnum;
> WHERE Leghist.lmembnum = 1;
> AND DELETED() = .F.;
> ORDER BY Leghist.ldate DESC
>
>but when I change the first join to an outer join;
>
>SELECT (a bunch of fields);
> FROM temptest!memb LEFT OUTER JOIN temptest!leghist;
> INNER JOIN temptest!campus;
> INNER JOIN temptest!isd;
> INNER JOIN temptest!local ;
> ON Memb.mlocalnum = Local.localnum ;
> ON Isd.isdnum = Campus.cisdnum ;
> ON Campus.campusnum = Memb.mcampusnum ;
> ON Memb.membnum = Leghist.lmembnum;
> WHERE Leghist.lmembnum = 1;
> AND DELETED() = .F.;
> ORDER BY Leghist.ldate DESC
>
>the SQL progress bar pops up, goes straight to 100%, and sits there for about 3 minutes. What would cause this?

Nothing is perfect. Progress bar probably traces 'inner' part of join only, and then wait until 'outer' part (UNION) will be completed. You can see similar behaviour when GROUPing join results. BTW, it's better to dismember complex SELECT and run it step by step.