Hi Michel,
USE don't like variables.
I have little trouble to understand your var (gcMainDBF) as data path.
Assuming you mean PATH and FILE NAME try:

lcFile = ADDBS(gcMainDbf)+tcChildTable
USE (lcFile) IN 0
*also if gcmainDBf holds all Backslashes needed
USE &gcMainDbf.&tcChildTable IN 0

assuming you mean DATABASE and TABLE try:

lcFile = gcMainDbf+'!'+tcChildTable
USE (lcFile) IN 0
*also works
USE &gcMainDbf.!&tcChildTable IN 0

HTH
Agnes
>I've faced that situations at few occasions and was wondering what you think.
>
>Lets say I have a data path and a file name variables. So, to open that file, I would then use:
>
>

>USE gcMainDbf+''+tcChildTable IN 0
>

>
>as if I use:
>
>

>USE gcMainDbf+tcChildTable IN 0
>

>
>that won't work.
>
>I personally never used a file name that contains a +. Is that possible? If not, then, this should be calculated and not searched as is for a file that matches that entire string.