>You could use an unbound control, with a character value, and check whether dtoc(.Value) is not empty(). However, this adds the complication of synchronizing values in both directions (TextBox <--> Field), instead of VFP handling this automatically.

Or just not use SET DATE SHORT. I can hokey up my own SET DATE SHORT functionality by analyzing a dtoc([valid date expression]) in a datasesson with SET DATE SHORT in effect, then determine how to do SET DATE, SET CENTURY, and SET MARK in my "real" data session.

Thanks,

Dennis