>I need to generate a sequential number to add to applications as they are entered into a table. The applications will be keyed by a number of key punchers and I need a method to create the sequential number and populate the records as they are added to the table. Waiting for VFP8 is not an option although I understand it will do it natively.

We have this approach to query our Table.dbf table for the next ID:

* Get the next id
* expC1 Name of the table in TABLE.DBF
FUNCTION GetNumero
PARAMETER tcTable
LOCAL lnOldSel,lnCompteur
lnOldSel=SELECT()
lnCompteur=0
SELECT TABLE
SEEK UPPER(PADR(tcTable,8,' ')) ORDER TAG TABLE
DO WHILE (NOT RLOCK()) AND (INKEY(0.1)=0) AND lnCompteur<=25
   lnCompteur=lnCompteur+1
ENDDO
REPLACE NUMERO WITH NUMERO+1
UNLOCK
SELECT(lnOldSel)
RETURN TABLE.NUMERO