>I think I read somewhere that if a table contains more than 10% deleted records it's really worth packing it.
Sure, the more deleted records there are, the more time VFP will lose in some operations.
This might justify counting the deleted records - but another option is to just make a habit of packing once a month or so.
OK, I think you are right. It can be worthwhile to have at least an approximate idea of the number of deleted records in the larger tables, to define your packing strategy.
Difference in opinions hath cost many millions of lives: for instance, whether flesh be bread, or bread be flesh; whether whistling be a vice or a virtue; whether it be better to kiss a post, or throw it into the fire... (from Gulliver's Travels)