>>>The verification engine require that table for report is opened, and often it say syntax error for really valid expressions. Try to store this and run report anyway with this expression, and see of it will show you syntax error.
>>>
>
>>I use Fox Pro 2.6 quite a lot and almost always it says syntax error when you click verify, but works when the report is run.
>
>This used to happen to me also. I gave up on using verify, it wasn't worth it.

Verify in Expression builder does work only if you have the tables open. For some reason, when it's called from a report designer, it doesn't see them. Actually, the best way that I've found to check for a validity of an expression is to paste it into the command window next to a question mark, or (even better, if it has a value dependent on a field),

browse fields fld1, fld2, fld3..., x={expression_here}

This way you see how it functions across the whole table, i.e. what the report would show. It's easier to edit the expression in the command window (where we at least have some control over the fonts and size), and paste it back into the report once it's fine. Saved me a lot of time, regardless of what I used it for - reports, methods or prgs.