>Sometimes the following does not return any data for me:
>
>This will be the case if your table is buffered. a SQL SELECT operates on the contents of the disk and cannot "see" what is in the buffer.

But wouldn't you say that in an UNbuffered situation, whether RLOCKed or not (after all it is THIS user that has the RLOCK in effect (and can be no other in the code shown because the table is created earlier, so EXCL), that SQL should ALWAYS "see" the record in question?
We are not talking here of the "buffer" that is implicated when buffering is in effect.