>>Bret, in this case yes APPEND BLANK does look better than INSERT-SQL. In addition to the reasons you've discussed, INSERT locks a record instead of a header, so there's less problems with other users, but that may not be an issue in your program relative to the ID entry.
>>
>>Barbara
>
>Hi Barbara,
>
>Uh . . . doesn't INSERT-SQL lock the header of the table also?
>Bill

Umm... You're right, of course, Bill. I wrote the opposite of what I was thinking. What I MEANT to say is that both lock the header, but APPEND BLANK leaves the record locked. My usual caveat about APPEND BLANK is that it also adds a blank record, with no Primary Key, but that's what Bret's programmed around.

Barbara (totally confused, by now)